Preview

August 11, Kharkiv, OSC Metalist, 19:30
Live broadcast on the Futbol 2 channel

Before the match

After three games in 14 days at the start of the season, Shakhtar were preparing for this game for a week. Yesterday, Paulo Fonseca’s men had an open training session in Sviatoshyno, where the defenders David Khocholava and Oleh Danchenko responded to the reporters’ questions. Both of them are on the list of 20 players to have arrived in Kharkiv, while Ivan Ordets, Dentinho and Olarenwaju Kayode continue to recover from injuries.
 
Opponents
 
Vorskla are the bronze medalists of the last championship and the Europa League group stage participants. A year ago, the Poltava players lost to Shakhtar in the opening UPL game, then they successively defeated Karpaty and Zirka, drawing with Dynamo. This season, after three rounds, Vasyl Sachko’s men have only 3 points, sitting bottom of the table, but the figures at such an early stage are subjective to some extent.
 
The league season started for Vorskla in Kyiv: 0-1 defeats at the hands of Dynamo (own goal by Ardin Dallku) and Olimpik (Vitalii Balashov's precision shot in the second half). Only in the third match, the Green-and-Whites managed to score and keep their goal intact: the victory over Lviv was secured through the only goal by the Brazilian newcomer Careca. Apart from him, Yevhen Martynenko, Artem Habelok and Maryan Mysyk have joined the Poltava team.
 
Striker Yurii Kolomoyets will miss the encounter with Shakhtar due to suspension, and midfielder Volodymyr Odaryuk is highly likely not to appear due to an ankle injury.
 
Head-to-head record
 
Shakhtar have had 35 victories over Vorskla in 46 league games, Poltava proved stronger on two occasions, with 9 meetings ending in a draw. The goal difference is 93-27.
 
At home, the Orange-and-Blacks claimed 20 wins alongside 3 draws and the goal difference of 54-14.
 
Previous league meeting
 
On April 21, the teams also met in Kharkiv. Marlos scored goals in the 23rd and 47th minutes, with Kovalenko tapping in Butko's cross shortly afterwards. However, Vorskla managed to bring back the plot just as quickly: Kolomoyets intercepted the ball at the edge of the box and netted one as a result, he also produced an assist for Serhiichuk in another episode. And yet Shakhtar were the ones to seal the win. In the end, Alan Patrick completed the Brazilian move involving Fred and Dentinho to make it 4-2.