Preview

May 14, Zhytomyr, Polissia Central City Stadium, 18:30
The live broadcast will be available on UPL.TV

Match build-up

Shakhtar are the current winners of the trophy and the national record holders for the number of victories in the competition – they have claimed the Ukrainian Cup 14 times. We remind that the Pitmen defeated Vorskla (2-1) in last year’s final.

Marino Pusic’s side began their title defence in autumn from the Round of 16, beating Zorya Luhansk (1-0), with a goal scored by Lassina Traore. In the quarter-finals, the Orange-and-Blacks got past Oleksandriia (1-0) after a precise shot from Kevin in extra time. Finally, they managed to defeat Polissia (1-0) with a goal from Alisson in the 114th minute in the semis. Shakhtar’s unbeaten run in the Cup dates back to 2021 and now includes 8 matches.

The Pitmen held several training sessions at the Sviatoshyn facility during the final days before the decisive match. The previously injured leaders returned to the general group ahead of the season’s major game: first-choice goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk, defender and captain Mykola Matviienko and this season’s top scorer of the Miners Heorhii Sudakov (13 goals and 6 assists in all competitions).

Opponents

Dynamo are 13-time holders of the Ukrainian Cup, with their most recent win coming in 2021. In this year’s competition, Oleksandr Shovkovskyi’s side also overcame three stages on their way to the final: in the Round of 16, the Kyiv outfit defeated Vorskla (2-1) in extra time, with goals from Eduardo Guerrero and Vladyslav Vanat; in the quarter-finals, they claimed a narrow win against Rukh (1-0) through an accurate shot from Oleksandr Pikhalonok; in the semi-finals, they thrashed first-league Bukovyna (4-1), with Nazarii Voloshyn (twice), Volodymyr Brazhko and Mykola Shaparenko getting on the scoresheet. Dynamo’s most prolific player this season is Vladyslav Vanat (21 goals and 8 assists in all competitions).

Match background

Shakhtar and Dynamo played 106 matches against each other since Ukraine's independence: the Miners have 45 wins, 22 matches ended in a draw, with the Kyivans proving stronger 39 times. Total goal difference: 163-148 in favour of the Orange-and-Blacks. As for the Ukrainian Cup encounters, the two teams held 16 games: 10 wins and 6 losses for the Miners (goal difference: 33-23). In the finals, the teams met 10 times – 5 victories for each side.

Previous meeting

On April 27, Shakhtar hosted Dynamo in the UPL match at the Arena Lviv. As expected, the Ukrainian Clasico was bright and spectacular. Marino Pusic’s team started the meeting aggressively, with Kevin scoring the opener from the penalty spot in the 6th minute and Eguinaldo doubling the lead in the 20th minute. However, the initiative shifted to Dynamo after the break. In the 56th minute, Vanat reduced the gap, while Kabaiev rescued the visitors from a loss in injury time. A dramatic 2-2 draw in the end.

The Shakhtar vs Dynamo match will be officiated by the judging panel headed by Mykola Balakin. Assistants – Oleksandr Berkut and Dmytro Zaporozhchenko. VAR – Denys Shurman.