Shakhtar 2-1 Vorskla

February 26, 2017. Kharkiv. Metalist OSC. Att: 5,058. 0^oC.

Goals: 0-1 Khlyobas (27), 1-1 Kovalenko (63), 2-1 Ferreyra (90)

Shakhtar: Pyatov, Srna (c), Kucher, Rakits’kyy, Ismaily, Stepanenko, Fred, Marlos (Zubkov, 90+4), Kovalenko (Ferreyra, 67), Bernard (Taison, 46), Blanco Leschuk

Unused subs: Shevchenko, Butko, Kryvtsov, Malyshev

Head coach: Paulo Fonseca

Vorskla: Shust, Perduta, Dallku, Chesnakov (c), Rebenok, Tkachuk, Kravchenko, Odaryuk, Sharpar (Zarichnyuk, 81), Myakushko (Kunev, 63), Khlyobas

Unused subs: Sarnavskyi, Ostapenko, Sapai, Shapoval, Sakiv

Head coach: Vasyl Sachko

Booked: Bernard (38), Kovalenko (60), Shust (73), Zarichnyuk (83), Odaryuk (85), Ferreyra (90+1)

Sent off: Zarichnyuk (90+3, second booking)

Referee: Dmytro Kutakov (Kyiv Oblast)

The Ukrainian League resumed for Shakhtar with the encounter with Poltava-based Vorskla, who sit in the sixth spot in the table. The starting line-up included Olexandr Kucher and Taras Stepanenko, with Bernard appearing at left midfield. Facundo Ferreyra, who recovered from the injury, has also made it onto the squad list for the game.

It took Paulo Fonseca’s men some time to convert their performance edge into scoring chances. Each attack by the Pitmen harboured danger. Viktor Kovalenko and Taras Stepanenko shot on target, with Bernard and Marlos being active in the opposing box, and the wingbacks Ismaily and Darijo Srna regularly linking up. Fred decided to go for a long-range shot towards the middle of the first half only to see his attempt bouncing off the bar to rescue the visiting side.

After the break appeared Taison, replacing Bernard. Early in the second half, he managed to add danger by making an attempt from the edge of the box, narrowly missing the target. On 51 minutes, Ismaily attempted to lob it over Bohdan Shust, with Vorskla goalkeeper coming out of the goal just in time. Shortly afterwards, Taison found himself one-on-one with Poltava goalkeeper, but luck was on the visitors’ side again. The Orange-and-Blacks continued to step it up and finally equalised. On 63 minutes, Gustavo Blanco Leschuk connected Ismaily to an attacking move, followed by a shot. Despite the fact that the goalkeeper coped with it, Viktor Kovalenko popped up in the right place, chesting the ball into the back of the net to make it 1-1. Paulo Fonseca made a second substitution. The goal scorer was replaced by Facundo Ferreyra, who paired up with Blanco Leschuk up front for the first time in official games. At the same time, the game pattern did not change, with Poltava crossing the halfway line just on few occasions, while the Pitmen continued to search for ways towards the opposing goal. On 84 minutes, Marlos got unlucky. The Brazilian had a good shooting position, but missed the ball and it was all over. In the following attack, Olexandr Kucher produced two attempts on target. Firstly, his header was cleared by Volodymyr Chesnakov, with the Donetsk defender’s rebound hitting the back of Ardino Dallku a moment later. Still, Shakhtar players got their way. On 90 minutes, Gustavo Blanco Leschuk struck from outside the penalty area, with Shust parrying it away, and Facundo Ferreyra immaculately firing it into the corner – 2-1. That’s the Argentine’s ninth Ukrainian League goal. The final whistle marked the Orange-and-Blacks’ comeback.