Preview

April 23, Zhytomyr, Polissia Central City Stadium, 18:00

Match build-up

Shakhtar continue to defend the trophy as the current Ukrainian Cup champions. The Miners have progressed through two stages of the tournament: they defeated Zorya Luhansk (1-0) in the Round of 16 when Burkinabe forward Lassina Traore produced an accurate shot, then, in early April, they secured a victory in extra time against Oleksandriia (1-0) in the quarter-finals, with Brazilian midfielder Kevin netting the decisive goal. Accordingly, the Pitmen’s unbeaten streak in cup matches, which began in 2021, has now extended to 7 consecutive games. The most prolific player of the Orange-and-Blacks this season remains midfielder Heorhii Sudakov (13 goals, 6 assists). The top three scorers also feature Artem Bondarenko (9 goals, 6 assists) and Kevin (8 goals, 3 assists).

Marino Pusic's side prepared for the semi-final match in Lviv, where they held 3 training sessions. It is worth noting that goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk has returned to action.

Opponents

Polissia also started their Ukrainian Cup campaign from the Round of 16, claiming a strong victory over Kryvbas (2-1) through the goals from Boris Krushynskyi and Oleksii Hutsuliak. In the quarter-finals, the Zhytomyr outfit defeated Veres (1-0) in overtime after a goal from Uruguayan Facundo Batista. The team led by Imad Ashura continue to fight in the UPL to secure a place in the European zone – currently, the Wolves are fourth. Last weekend, Polissia shared tied with Livyi Bereh in the league game (1-1). The team's top scorer in all tournaments is Oleksii Hutsuliak (12 goals, 3 assists).

Match background

Shakhtar and Polissia have never met in cup competitions. They played 4 matches in the Ukrainian Premier League, with 1 draw and 3 victories of the Zhytomyr side.

Previous meeting

On December 15, 2024, the teams played in the UPL at the Polissia Central City Stadium. The outcome of the match was decided by the only goal scored by the hosts’ defender Bohdan Mykhailichenko in the first minute of added time. 1-0 for the Wolves.

The Polissia vs Shakhtar match will be officiated by the judging panel headed by Dmytro Panchyshyn. Assistants – Volodymyr Dumenko and Yaroslav Povazhnyi. VAR – Ihor Balakin.