– Valery Serhiyovych, how do you like the Ukrainian classic derby?
– I liked it. First of all, because the tension was almost up to the final whistle. Shakhtar started the game aggressively, which is not surprising given their defeat against Dynamo in the Ukrainian Cup. This energy allowed Arda Turan’s wards to score a quick goal, which, of course, helped the Donetsk people a lot in the future.
However, when the Kyiv team scored one goal in the second half, the question of the winner hung in the air. But the all-in play of Oleksandr Shovkovsky’s wards allowed Shakhtar to score the third goal on the tape. But again, this match was great from both teams, both opponents showed good organization of the game and good physical readiness.
– All experts, and then the committee of referees of UAF, confirmed that with the score 2:1 in favor of Shakhtar, the referee of the meeting, Vitaliy Romanov, did not award a penalty to the goal of “Miners”. Could this episode have turned the game around?
– Of course, because, as in the cup match, so now, “Dynamo” seized the initiative in the second half. I don’t know if Shakhtar would have won if the referee awarded a penalty and Dynamo took it. We can say that the “miners” were lucky to some extent.
– Nevertheless, did Shakhtar fully rehabilitate after the defeat by Dynamo in the Ukrainian Cup?
– I think so. The gap in the table was one point, and now it is four. Especially since “Shakhtar” broke the long streak of Dynamo players without defeat in the championship (42 matches). And considering the fact that the other main competitors could not win, the “miners” can now breathe a little and calmly prepare for the Conference League match.
Forested Ruslan Rotan – Why can’t LNZ, Polissya, Kryvbas take full advantage of the giants’ misfires? Are you ashamed?
– I don’t think they are ashamed (smiles). You can see that there are many unpredictable matches in the current championship, which is also confirmed by the density of the tournament table. There is a lack of bright performers who can individually decide the fate of matches. At the same time, many teams work well on defense.
Everyone is waiting for a miracle from Kryvbas, but at the moment it is not realistic, because in the offseason the team of Kryvyi Rih has changed significantly, a new coach has arrived, so it takes time. In “Polyssia” the game and the results have stabilized. Ruslan Rotan’s team did not succeed in starting the season, but there were objective reasons for this. Now the people of Zhytomyr have not lost in the championship for seven rounds in a row, and five victories have been won. And LNZ lacks stability. For example, in the match against “Karpaty” the hosts did not rebuild well at the top, so the Lviv team had to go on the attack.
– After a good start, “Metalist 1925” and especially “Colossus” slowed down. What is the matter here?
– “Colossus” is well prepared physically. This team likes to play as number two, but when they concede a goal, they often face problems in attacking actions. And if we talk about the top three, which was predicted for the Kovaliv team at the start of the competition, I think their selection of performers should be a little better.
And in “Metalista 1925” the formation of the team continues. A large group of qualified players arrived, a new coach was appointed. There is a prospect, but it will be possible to see it in the second part of the championship, if, of course, the people of Kharkiv manage to improve in the winter pointwise, but qualitatively. It is now important for them to keep up with the leaders. I wouldn’t write off this team from the list of contenders for prizes just yet.
Alexandria – Are the outsiders defined? Do you mean the places of the teams from the 13th to the 16th?
– Of course, it is not worth counting on the fact that “Epicenter”, “Olexandria”, “Rukh” and “Poltava” will rise to the top of the tournament table. But it is also too early to say that these teams are doomed. In my opinion, at the moment it can be assumed that the teams starting from the ninth place will fight for the right to keep their registration in the Premier League.
Now put any coach in the team from the bottom of the table, he will not be able to do a miracle, because there is a level of football players with whom you cannot jump above your head. It is not the coach who picks up the balls and scores the goals. Except that “Alexandria”, which is still looking for its game, should not be in 14th place by the selection of performers. But whether it is so, we will see in the spring.
UPL 11th round 31.10.2025
- “Kudrivka” – “Obolon” – 1:0
01.11.2025
- “Kryvbas” – “Poltava” – 2:2
- “Colossus” – “Alexandria” – 1:1
- “Epicenter” – “Heath” – 2:3
02.11.2025
- “Zorya” – “Rukh” – 1:0
- “Shakhtar” – “Dynamo” – 3:1
03.11.2025
- LNZ – ”Karpaty” – 0:1
- “Polyssia” – “Metalist 1925” – 0:0
UPL table 2025/26 after the 11th round
Source: sport.ua