U19. Zorya vs Shakhtar: match preview
Friday, March 20, 2026
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Shakhtar youth team will play against their Zorya counterparts in the U19 National League round 21
March 21, Shchaslyve, indoor facility, 11:00
Match build-up
The Orange-and-Blacks successfully began the second part of the season, dropping no points in matches against Veres U19 (4-2), Oleksandriia U19 (5-0) and Metalist 1925 U19 (2-0), thus extending their winning run to 8 matches. After 19 games, the Miners are in first spot in the standings with 51 points (17 wins and 2 defeats). Ahead of this, five Academy players received call-ups to Ukraine U18 for the first stage of Euro 2027 qualification: Bahlai, Onishchuk, Kostiuk, Zubrii and Balakai.
Notably, since March 2025, a club-record run without draws has been ongoing, now standing at 32 matches (28 wins and 4 defeats).
Opponents
Zorya Luhansk U19 have collected 35 points from 20 matches in the U19 National League and are competing for a place in the top five of the league (11 wins, 2 draws and 7 losses). The start of the second part of the season has been inconsistent for the team: victories over Kryvbas U19 (1-0) and Poltava U19 (2-0) have alternated with defeats to Kolos U19 (1-4) and Kudrivka U19 (0-2). Notably, Zorya U19’s defensive line is one of the most reliable in the championship (only 22 conceded), while their attack is not particularly prolific (17 scored, an average of 0.85 goals per game).
Match background
The teams met 17 times in the Youth League: the Miners won 9 matches, 5 encounters ended in a draw, with the Luhansk outfit claiming 3 wins.
Previous meeting
On September 21, 2025, Shakhtar U19 hosted Zorya U19 at the Sviatoshyn TB. The Miners started the match actively and quickly took the initiative, creating chances near the opponents’ goal. After several attempts, they eventually opened the scoring: Kostiuk scored with a header after a corner. Zorya U19 responded with a dangerous long-ranger. At half-time, Shakhtar U19 head coach Oleksii Bielik made a triple substitution, which quickly paid off: Tiutiunov scored shortly after coming on. The closing minutes were dynamic: Bahlai saved a penalty, with Tiutiunov securing a hat-trick. The final whistle confirmed a 4-0 victory for Shakhtar.
Match build-up
The Orange-and-Blacks successfully began the second part of the season, dropping no points in matches against Veres U19 (4-2), Oleksandriia U19 (5-0) and Metalist 1925 U19 (2-0), thus extending their winning run to 8 matches. After 19 games, the Miners are in first spot in the standings with 51 points (17 wins and 2 defeats). Ahead of this, five Academy players received call-ups to Ukraine U18 for the first stage of Euro 2027 qualification: Bahlai, Onishchuk, Kostiuk, Zubrii and Balakai.
Notably, since March 2025, a club-record run without draws has been ongoing, now standing at 32 matches (28 wins and 4 defeats).
Opponents
Zorya Luhansk U19 have collected 35 points from 20 matches in the U19 National League and are competing for a place in the top five of the league (11 wins, 2 draws and 7 losses). The start of the second part of the season has been inconsistent for the team: victories over Kryvbas U19 (1-0) and Poltava U19 (2-0) have alternated with defeats to Kolos U19 (1-4) and Kudrivka U19 (0-2). Notably, Zorya U19’s defensive line is one of the most reliable in the championship (only 22 conceded), while their attack is not particularly prolific (17 scored, an average of 0.85 goals per game).
Match background
The teams met 17 times in the Youth League: the Miners won 9 matches, 5 encounters ended in a draw, with the Luhansk outfit claiming 3 wins.
Previous meeting
On September 21, 2025, Shakhtar U19 hosted Zorya U19 at the Sviatoshyn TB. The Miners started the match actively and quickly took the initiative, creating chances near the opponents’ goal. After several attempts, they eventually opened the scoring: Kostiuk scored with a header after a corner. Zorya U19 responded with a dangerous long-ranger. At half-time, Shakhtar U19 head coach Oleksii Bielik made a triple substitution, which quickly paid off: Tiutiunov scored shortly after coming on. The closing minutes were dynamic: Bahlai saved a penalty, with Tiutiunov securing a hat-trick. The final whistle confirmed a 4-0 victory for Shakhtar.