Preview

August 23, Kyiv, NSC Olimpiyskiy, 13:00
Live broadcast: Setanta Sports

Before the match

Shakhtar will play the first official fixture for the last 8 months. The club has played 13 charity matches (among which matches against Roma and Ajax) as a part of the Shakhtar Global Tour for Peace in Ukraine in different countries since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Also the team squad has changed during this period: Croatian Djurasek and Brazilian Taylor, Ukrainians Totovytskyi, Mykhaylichenko, Zubkov, and Petryak joined the Pitmen in summer; many young graduates of the club’s Academy returned from loan.

Croatian professional Igor Jovicevic took position of Shakhtar head coach in July. The Orange-and-Blacks hold the training camp in the Netherlands and Slovenia under his management. The Miners trained in Kyiv during the last week prior to season start.

Opponent

Metalist 1925 prepare to start their second season in the UPL. Kharkiv team managed by the legendary former player and coach of Shakhtar Valeriy Kryventsov looked decent in the previous championship. At the moment of championship interruption they were 8th. In summer, the club underwent serious staff changes and was left without its leaders Kryskiv, Marlyson and Batyushyn. There were attempts to find reinforcement in lower leagues. The club signed graduates of the Shakhtar Academy Rudavskyi, Chyruk, and Dudik among others and invited young Brazilian Wendel.

It is interesting that Metalist 1925 became the most successful team in the UPL during summer pre-season: Kharkiv team has 8 victories and 1 draw in 8 friendlies with total goal difference of 27–4.

Match background

The teams met only once. Shakhtar defeated Metalist 1925 2-0 in the previous league season at the NSC Olimpiyskiy. The opponents finished the first half without the scored goals, but already in the 49th minute Taras Stepanenko scored after a corner kick and flick back by Kryvtsov. The Miners were able to consolidate their advantage in the 80th minute. Traore scored the goal after Matviienko’s pass.