Preview

October 17, Lviv, Arena Lviv, 18:00
The live broadcast will be available on UPL.TV

Match build-up

Shakhtar go into the match as the Ukrainian Premier League’s outright leaders: they have won 7 of their 8 matches and currently have 21 points, along with the league’s best goal difference (18-4). In their previous match, Arda Turan’s side secured a convincing away win over Veres (3-0) through goals from Pedrinho, Mykola Matviienko and Pedro Henrique. Shakhtar’s top scorers in the UPL are Kaua Elias and Luca Meirelles (goals each). It is worth noting that the Pitmen have kept 4 consecutive clean sheets, with Dmytro Riznyk’s shutout streak now standing at 438 minutes.

Shakhtar will face Kolos between their two UEFA Champions League fixtures. This Wednesday, the Miners secured an impressive victory over Greek side AEK (3-1) in their first home match at Stamford Bridge in London, with goals from Pedrinho, Vinicius Tobias and Gleiker Mendoza. Next week, the Ukrainian champions will travel to face Italian champions Inter.

Opponents

Kolos have picked up 8 points from 7 Ukrainian Premier League matches (goal difference: 9-11) and sit 9th in the table. The team from Kovalivka made a difficult start to the season, failing to win any of their first 5 UPL matches, but have gradually found their rhythm, securing high-scoring wins over Kudrivka (3-2) and Epicentr (3-1) in their last two outings. The hero of their most recent match was 26-year-old striker Denys Ndukve, who scored twice. He is the team’s leading scorer this season with four goals. Experienced midfielder Oleksandr Demchenko has also made a significant contribution (goals and two assists).

Match background

Shakhtar and Kolos have met 15 times in the Ukrainian Premier League: the Miners have won 11 times, two matches have ended in draws and the Kovalivka side have come out on top twice. The total goal difference stands at 33-13 in favour of the Orange-and-Blacks.

Previous meeting

On May 21, the teams met at the Arena Lviv on the final matchday of the previous Ukrainian Premier League season. The Miners took to the pitch having already secured the title and fielded an experimental line-up. Ultimately, the more motivated Kolos side claimed a narrow victory through a 49th-minute goal from Ardit Tahiri. 0-1.

The Shakhtar vs Kolos match will be officiated by a refereeing team led by Dmytro Panchyshyn. Assistants – Volodymyr Dumenko and Yaroslav Povazhnyi. VAR – Oleksii Derevinskyi. VAR assistant – Vitalii Skoblia.