Preview

December 1, Shchaslyve, Kniazha Arena, 12:00
 
Before the match
 
The teams have two more games to play before the winter break. Thanks to the previous round victory over Lviv (1-0), the Miners returned among the league’s top three sides and reduced the gap between them and the top spot. Currently, Valeriy Kryventsov’s lads have 28 points (goal difference of 26–19). The Shakhtar defender Valerii Bondar will miss the Donetsk derby due to suspension, but Andrii Kulakov is back in the ranks. We want to mention that this week, they and another four U21 football players took part in the UEFA Youth League clash vs Hoffenheim U19.
 
Opponents
 
Olimpik are sitting in the 10th spot in the league, having gathered 15 points since the season start (goal difference of 20–31). The team of Ihor Klymovskyi managed to win the recent two games after a series of failures, scoring 3 goals vs Lviv (3-1) and Zorya (3-2). Thus, the prospect of getting into the top six sides (with the current deficit of 8 points) is available, therefore, they will be utterly motivated for the remaining 6 meetings of the first stage.
 
Head-to-head record
 
In the U21 league, Shakhtar and Olimpik had 11 games: the Miners won on 9 occasions and drew two times. The goal difference is 27–5 in favour of the Orange-and-Blacks. The first meetings between the opponents this season also ended in a draw.
 
Recent game
 
August 23, 2018. Bila Tserkva
 
Olimpik Donetsk U21 3-3 Shakhtar Donetsk U21 
 
Goals: 0-1 Melichenko (7’), 1-1 Kravchuk (21’), 2-1 Pudy (30’), 2-2 Kulakov (35’), 2-3 Hlahola (53’, pen.), 3-3 Mohyl ( 73’)
 
Shakhtar U21: Vertiei, Konoplia, Melichenko, Bondar (Chahovets, 83’), Korniienko, Chekh, Yakymets, Dudik (Mudryk, 46’), Hlahola (c) (Kryskiv, 78’), Topalov, Kulakov (Vasylevych, 78’)