Champions!
Sunday, May 10, 2026
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Shakhtar faced Poltava away in the UPL round 27
Head coach of the Miners Arda Turan picked the following starting line-up for this match: Riznyk was in goal, Matviienko and Bondar played in central defence, Azarov and Pedro Henrique operated as full-backs, Kryskiv, Bondarenko and Isaque started in midfield, Prosper and Lucas appeared on the wings, with Traore taking the centre-forward position.
A hard-fought half and Kryskiv’s title-winning goal
The teams started the match very actively and at a high tempo, with the Poltava side opting for an open style of play and not sitting back in defence. It was the nominal hosts who created the first dangerous chance: already in the 8th second of the match, Sad struck powerfully from distance, forcing Riznyk into action immediately. The Orange-and-Blacks responded with chances of their own: Bondarenko fired from the edge of the penalty area after a lay-off from Traore – the goalkeeper dealt with it, and then Prosper sent Lucas through one-on-one, but he was also unable to beat Minchev. On two occasions, the Pitmen could have had penalty appeals – first Bondarenko went down after a challenge in the box, and then his own set piece struck a Poltava defender’s hand, but the referees did not spot any fouls in either incident. Eventually, in the third added minute of the half, Arda Turan’s side managed to score: Isaque delivered a cross from the left corner, Traore nodded the ball down in the penalty area for Dmytro Kryskiv who sent it into the left corner under pressure from a defender to make 0-1.
A demolition job after the break with Isaque’s brace and Traore’s goal
The second half began with a wave of attacks from Shakhtar. Traore found Lucas on the right side of the penalty area, but he shot wide. Shortly after, Traore’s effort was saved by the goalkeeper, and Lucas put the rebound into the net, but VAR disallowed the goal for offside. Bondar then set up Traore for a shot, but the Burkinabe forward curled his effort just wide of the post. Still, in the 55th minute, the Miners struck again: Azarov’s pass from the right flank found Traore in the box, the forward was dispossessed and the ball broke to Isaque who beat Minchev from a tight angle – 0-2. The Pitmen kept pushing. Traore’s lay-off, Bondarenko’s shot – the goalkeeper pushed it onto the right post. In the 61st minute, the score became lopsided: Bondarenko combined with Kryskiv on the right side of the penalty area and set up Isaque who finished into the near corner – 0-3. However, the relentless Traore could not leave the pitch without scoring on the day. And while his powerful shot from outside the penalty area was saved by the goalkeeper, in the 67th minute, the Burkinabe forward got his reward: receiving a pass from Bondarenko in the centre of the box, Lassina Traore steered the ball into the net under pressure from a defender – 0-4. The coaching staff then made a series of substitutions: Ghram and Meirelles came on first, followed later by Nazaryna, Pedrinho and Ocheretko. Towards the end of the match the tempo dropped, but the Orange-and-Blacks still had chances to add to the score. Azarov shot over from the right, Isaque’s low effort was saved by Minchev, and in the final minute, Nazaryna’s long-ranger was kept out by the goalkeeper, with Pedrinho sending the rebound over the bar. 4-0 – a win for the Miners.
Shakhtar secured the 2025/26 UPL gold medals early! This is the 16th league title in the history of the Donetsk club.
Arda Turan’s side will play their next match on Wednesday, May 13, hosting Obolon. The game will take place at the Arena Lviv, with kickoff scheduled for 18:00.
Poltava 0-4 (0-1) Shakhtar Donetsk
Arena Lviv, Lviv
Goals: 0-1 Kryskiv (45+3′), 0-2 Isaque (55′), 0-3 Isaque (61′), 0-4 Traore (67′)
Shakhtar: Riznyk, Azarov, Matviienko (c), Bondar, Pedro Henrique (Ghram, 69′), Kryskiv (Nazaryna, 76′), Isaque, Bondarenko (Pedrinho, 76′), Prosper (Meirelles, 69′), Lucas, Traore (Ocheretko, 83′)
A hard-fought half and Kryskiv’s title-winning goal
The teams started the match very actively and at a high tempo, with the Poltava side opting for an open style of play and not sitting back in defence. It was the nominal hosts who created the first dangerous chance: already in the 8th second of the match, Sad struck powerfully from distance, forcing Riznyk into action immediately. The Orange-and-Blacks responded with chances of their own: Bondarenko fired from the edge of the penalty area after a lay-off from Traore – the goalkeeper dealt with it, and then Prosper sent Lucas through one-on-one, but he was also unable to beat Minchev. On two occasions, the Pitmen could have had penalty appeals – first Bondarenko went down after a challenge in the box, and then his own set piece struck a Poltava defender’s hand, but the referees did not spot any fouls in either incident. Eventually, in the third added minute of the half, Arda Turan’s side managed to score: Isaque delivered a cross from the left corner, Traore nodded the ball down in the penalty area for Dmytro Kryskiv who sent it into the left corner under pressure from a defender to make 0-1.
A demolition job after the break with Isaque’s brace and Traore’s goal
The second half began with a wave of attacks from Shakhtar. Traore found Lucas on the right side of the penalty area, but he shot wide. Shortly after, Traore’s effort was saved by the goalkeeper, and Lucas put the rebound into the net, but VAR disallowed the goal for offside. Bondar then set up Traore for a shot, but the Burkinabe forward curled his effort just wide of the post. Still, in the 55th minute, the Miners struck again: Azarov’s pass from the right flank found Traore in the box, the forward was dispossessed and the ball broke to Isaque who beat Minchev from a tight angle – 0-2. The Pitmen kept pushing. Traore’s lay-off, Bondarenko’s shot – the goalkeeper pushed it onto the right post. In the 61st minute, the score became lopsided: Bondarenko combined with Kryskiv on the right side of the penalty area and set up Isaque who finished into the near corner – 0-3. However, the relentless Traore could not leave the pitch without scoring on the day. And while his powerful shot from outside the penalty area was saved by the goalkeeper, in the 67th minute, the Burkinabe forward got his reward: receiving a pass from Bondarenko in the centre of the box, Lassina Traore steered the ball into the net under pressure from a defender – 0-4. The coaching staff then made a series of substitutions: Ghram and Meirelles came on first, followed later by Nazaryna, Pedrinho and Ocheretko. Towards the end of the match the tempo dropped, but the Orange-and-Blacks still had chances to add to the score. Azarov shot over from the right, Isaque’s low effort was saved by Minchev, and in the final minute, Nazaryna’s long-ranger was kept out by the goalkeeper, with Pedrinho sending the rebound over the bar. 4-0 – a win for the Miners.
Shakhtar secured the 2025/26 UPL gold medals early! This is the 16th league title in the history of the Donetsk club.
Arda Turan’s side will play their next match on Wednesday, May 13, hosting Obolon. The game will take place at the Arena Lviv, with kickoff scheduled for 18:00.
Poltava 0-4 (0-1) Shakhtar Donetsk
Arena Lviv, Lviv
Goals: 0-1 Kryskiv (45+3′), 0-2 Isaque (55′), 0-3 Isaque (61′), 0-4 Traore (67′)
Shakhtar: Riznyk, Azarov, Matviienko (c), Bondar, Pedro Henrique (Ghram, 69′), Kryskiv (Nazaryna, 76′), Isaque, Bondarenko (Pedrinho, 76′), Prosper (Meirelles, 69′), Lucas, Traore (Ocheretko, 83′)
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