Carpathians — Shakhtar. On the eve

As part of the fifth round of the Ukrainian Premier League 2026/27, Carpathians will play a home match against Shakhtar Donetsk in Lviv. CARPATIA - MINER SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 6:00 p.m. UKRAINE, Lviv. CHIEF REFEREE — OLEKSANDR AFANASIEV (KHARKIV). LIVE ON UPL.TV Lviv Carpathians had a great start to the new season in the Ukrainian Premier League, becoming a real surprise. In the first round, Lviv defeated Kryvbas (4:1), after which they confidently beat the vice-champion LNZ (3:0), and later the series continued with success over Bukovyna (3:0). After that, the Carpathians advanced to the next round of the Cup of Ukraine, knocking out the UPL representative - Obolon (2:0), however, the winning streak ended with a draw against Livy Bereh (1:1). Generally speaking, Francisco Fernandez's wards currently have no significant shortcomings and the team has made clear progress during the summer offseason, but the match against the "Storks" showed that the team has a lot to work on. Yes, of course, many will say that the "Lions" could have pressed Oleksandr Ryabokon's team if it were not for the air alarm, but this is football in our time, and because of this, increased concentration is required for any part of the match after long breaks in shelter. The match against Shakhtar will be another real test for the Carpathians, for the players to show their level and potential with an eye on the future. After that, the "lions" will have a double confrontation against Kolos — first in the championship, and then in the Cup of Ukraine. For Shakhtar, the start of the season seemed to be successful, but in the last round, an alarm bell sounded before the start of the main European cup tournament - the Champions League. In the opening round, the "miners" dismantled Kudrivka (5:1), after which they won two consecutive victories over Epicenter (2:0) and Kharkiv (1:0). However, in the last round there was a defeat against Zhytomyr Polissia (0:2). Already against Kharkiv, there were hints of Arda Turan's team's organization of the game, which after a quick scored goal created almost nothing near the home team's goal, while Kharkiv could have scored and even claimed a penalty that was not taken, which was later recognized as a referee's error. Against the "Wolves", who are a very uncomfortable opponent for Shakhtar, the "Miners" also did not particularly impress and the Zhytomyr team calmly coped with the challenges in defense, scoring two goals. All this is very disturbing, especially before the start of the only Ukrainian representative in the European Cups - Shakhtar, which will open a new chapter in European history on September 10, with a match against the Dutch PSV. The Carpathians, especially considering their successful starting stretch, look like an ideal candidate and opponent for the "miners" to prepare well for the start in the Champions League and perhaps test some ideas for future games against stronger opponents. In the event of a victory, the "miners" will have a 100% improvement in their mood and will double their motivation to face the Edivision giants. The history between Carpathians and Shakhtar consists of 84 matches and there is an obvious advantage for the "miners", who won 51 matches against 16 for Carpathians. The goal difference is 160:66 in favor of the Donetsk people. Last season, the Carpathians were able to stop the "miners" on their own field - 1:1, but then lost away - 0:3. According to bookmakers, Arda Turan's wards have more chances of success today. Thus, a 1.54 coefficient is offered for the victory of Shakhtar in the main time, while the potential success of the Carpathians is estimated at 6.00. The probability of a draw is represented by a coefficient of 4.25. INDICATIVE COMPOSITIONS CARPATHIANS: Marchenko — Kalero, Baboglo, Stetskov, Lyakh — Fellipe, Chachua, Moha — Cheber, Kostenko, Rusyn. SHAKHTAR: Risnyk — Tobias, Bondar, Matvienko, Enrique — Izaki, Marlon, Ocheretko — Alisson, Elias, Mendoza. INTERESTING FACTS - 1030 match of Shakhtar in the championship; - Carpathians can suffer 330 defeats in the UPL, and Shakhtar - 130; - Shakhtar's unbeaten streak in the UPL lasts 12 games: ten wins and two losses; - the scoring streak of the Carpathians continues in the championship for seven games — 16 goals; - Shakhtar's 30th away match against Arda Turan at the top level, in which the "miners" can win 20 victories; - Carpathians under Francisco Fernandez will play their 20th match at the top level; - Dmytro Riznyk (Shakhtar) can play 150 matches in the UPL, including 65 clean sheets; - the tenth goal in the UPL can be scored by Kawan Elias, Oleg Ocheretko (both - Shakhtar); - Fellipe's (Carpathian) goal streak continues in the UPL for three games — three goals. FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS CURRENT FORM forecast 1:1