Preview

February 23, Kharkiv, OSK Metalist, 17:00
Live broadcast on Futbol 1

Before the match

The Miners held two winter camps in Turkey and resumed their competitive campaign with winning the Europa League round of 32 first leg vs Benfica (2-1). After that, Luis Castro’s men did not fly to Kyiv, staying to prepare for the game vs Desna in Kharkiv. There are no suspended players in the team, we published the list of 24 players earlier.

Shakhtar are topping the UPL league table with a significant margin. The champions have no intention to lose even part of their lead, especially since there is next to no time left until the second stage splitting the participants into sixes. At the same time, the opening round after a winter break will bring the fans an interesting encounter between the Miners and the strong Desna who currently have every chance to compete for the title. The next match will be the 300th app for Taras Stepanenko with the club.

You can buy tickets for the match Shakhtar vs Desna at the OSK Metalist ticket office and at shakhtar.com.

Opponents

Desna is one of three clubs who conceded the least goals in the UPL (13). In 18 rounds, the Chernihiv side claimed 10 wins, along with 3 draws and 5 defeats. This season, Oleksandr Ryabokon’s men beat Dynamo, thrashed both Lviv-based clubs, Mariupol, and Oleksandria, with all that happening on the road.
  
Desna also held their winter training camp in Turkey. Some experienced newcomers joined the team squad: the midfielder Andrii Totovytskyi moved from Shakhtar, the striker Pylyp Budkivskyi, the only foreigner Estonian defender Joonas Tamm, the former midfielders of Zorya and Karpaty Levan Arveladze and Oleksii Hutsulyak.

Desna have two suspended players - Ohyria and Kalitvintsev - before the game vs the champions. Both of them earned four yellow cards in December’s match vs Dynamo that was won by the Kyivans 1-0.
  
Head-to-head record

Shakhtar won all 3 league games, keeping a clean sheet (4-0). The previous meeting with Desna took place in Chernihiv on September 22. In the 22nd minute, Marlos scored the winner after a move involving Taison.