Bukovyna vs LNZ: A New Era Begins in the Ukrainian Premier League

After two months with no football to speak of - other than a World Cup that ended with Spain lifting the trophy - the Ukrainian Premier League is back. The 2026/27 season starts Monday in Lviv, where Bukovyna hosts LNZ at Ukraina Stadium. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. local time, Maksym Kozyriatskyi of Zaporizhzhia is the referee, and UPL.tv has the broadcast. Bukovyna's return to the top flight is a long time coming. The club has not appeared in Ukraine's elite division since the 1993/94 season, and because its stadium in Chernivtsi is still being renovated, this homecoming will happen in Lviv. Last season, Serhiy Shyshchenko's team tore through the First League, winning the title with 26 wins, three draws and one loss in 30 matches and a goal difference of 74-21. The summer brought plenty of squad movement. Bukovyna signed seven players: defenders Edvin Odinaku from Železničar, Vladyslav Pryimak from Obolon and Illia Putria on loan from LNZ; midfielders Maksym Zaderaka from Kryvbas, Fedir Babak from Paderborn and Viacheslav Tankovskyi, also on loan from LNZ; and forward Mikhael Klepats from Široki Brijeg. Vasyl Hakman, Yan Morhovskyi, Dmytro Pohorilyi (Teruel), Danylo Holub (Lokomotyv Kyiv), Danylo Honcharuk (Probiy), Kyrylo Prokopchuk (Obolon) and Rodion Plaksa (Kudrivka) moved on. Bukovyna's preseason consisted of eight friendlies. Shyshchenko's side beat Veres 3-2, Kisvárda 1-0, Rukh 2-1 and Podillya 2-0, played out draws with Nyíregyháza 2-2, Metalist 1-1 and Michalovce 1-1, and suffered its only defeat against Epicenter 0-4. The core of the championship squad is still in place, which suggests Bukovyna can settle into midtable in its first season back. LNZ arrives with a different kind of pressure. Last season brought a historic second-place finish and a debut European campaign. That adventure ended quickly in Conference League qualifying: two scoreless games against Belgium's Gent, with the Belgians going through on penalties. Vitaliy Ponomaryov's team also reshaped its roster. A group arrived from Rukh Lviv - defenders Andriy Kitela and Vitaliy Roman, plus midfielder Talles Brener. LNZ added winger Tedi Tsara from Oleksandriya and forward Cody David from Trenčín. Five players left, including Tankovskyi and Putria, who joined Bukovyna on loan, along with Haidyn Salihu (Drita), Marko Podoliak (Fenix-Mariupol) and Orest Lepskyi (Probiy). LNZ played seven friendlies, winning four straight against Sturm 6-2, Koper 2-1, MTK 4-0 and Olimpija 1-0. There was also a scoreless draw with Dinamo Zagreb and losses to Göztepe 0-2 and Hajduk 0-1. With the key pieces from last season still around and more competition in the squad, LNZ should stick with the attack-minded, possession-heavy style that carried it to second place.