Shakhtar vs Dynamo: match report

Ukrainian League 2017/18. 2nd round.

July 22, 2017. Kharkiv. OSC Metalist. Att: 14,168. 28 ^oC.

Shakhtar Donetsk 0-1 (0-0) Dynamo Kyiv

Goal: 0-1 Mbokani (46)

Shakhtar: Pyatov, Srna (c), Kryvtsov, Rakits’kyy, Ismaily, Stepanenko (Kovalenko, 65), Alan Patrick (Blanco Leschuk, 86), Marlos, Taison, Bernard (Dentinho, 79), Ferreyra

Unused subs: Shevchenko, Butko, Khocholava, Petryak

Head coach: Paulo Fonseca

Dynamo: Koval, Morozyuk, Khacheridi, Kadar, Vida, Shepelev, Sydorchuk, Yarmolenko (c), Harmash (Korzun, 80), Gonzalez (Tsyhankov, 70), Mbokani (Besedin, 77)

Unused subs: Rudko, Kendzera, Husev, Buyalskyi

Head coach: Oleksandr Khatskevych

Booked: Gonzalez (53), Koval (68), Sydorchuk (84), Khacheridi (84), Korzun (88), Marlos (88)

Referee: Yurii Mozharovskyi (Lviv)

Before the match

A week after a confident Super Cup win (2-0), the Miners locked horns with Dynamo in the Ukrainian League. Paulo Fonseca fielded Alan Patrick to make a pairing with Taras Stepanenko in the holding area; Sergii Kryvtsov – making his 100th appearance for Shakhtar – was fielded together with Yaroslav Rakits’kyy at centre-back. Taison, who suffered a minor injury, has recovered. Before the game, the players held a minute of silence to pay tribute to the ATO warriors who had died in recent days.

First half

The teams started the game cautiously. The opening minutes saw neck-and-neck competition without any particularly dangerous situations. The opponents launched mainly positional attacks, and only over time the Miners got the territorial advantage. Bernard had the first scoring opportunity. The Brazilian broke into Dynamo’s penalty area, with the away goalkeeper stopping his left-footer. In the 32nd minute, Yaroslav Rakits’kyy delivered a dangerous set piece – the ball whizzed just inches above the crossbar. Immediately Taison put Ferreyra through on goal, with the defender managing to interfere with Facundo’s attempt at the very last moment. Shakhtar were attacking towards the end of the first half. Again, Bernard had a chance to score, but his promising free-kick effort just hit the wall. And the brightest episode happened in the 41st minute. Ismaily sent a high ball from the left wing, with Darijo Srna feeding Facundo Ferreyra, but Maksym Koval rescued his teammates following the Argentine's volley kick.

Second half

Immediately after the break, the visitors opened the scoring. Dieumerci Mbokani beat Sergii Kryvtsov and sent his header just home. The Orange-and-Blacks launched an all-out attack, but another chance belonged to Dynamo – Derlis Gonzalez’s long-ranger hit the crossbar. After that episode, the main events unfolded near the goal of Maksym Koval. So, in the 62nd minute Marlos could have equalised. He received a pass from Darijo Srna and scooped the ball to fire it home only to see his attempt flying just inches wide.