Mykhailo Kopolovets: "Karpaty should beat LNZ, and Dynamo will defeat Veres"
Already today, August 8, the second round of the Ukrainian Premier League starts. The first game of the UPL season will be played by Kyiv's Dynamo, Polissya will measure their strength against FC Kharkiv, and Karpaty will play at home against Cherkasy's LNZ.
The legend of the "lions" Mikhail Kopolovets exclusively shared his expectations for the upcoming matches with Sport.ua, assessing the prospects of Igor Kostyuk's wards against Veres, and also surprised with a prediction for the Karpaty - LNZ match.
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– Livyi Bereh – Kudrivka. In my opinion, two underdogs will play. Do you see a favorite here? What can be expected from this game?
– (Laughs)... Indeed, the match will be interesting because, realistically, underdogs will play. Sorry, but I think these two teams will be fighting for survival in the Ukrainian Premier League. It's hard to say who will win this particular match: who is stronger, who is weaker... The championship is just beginning, so only now it will be clear who is in what condition for the start of the new championship. Therefore, it's difficult to choose a favorite, it's 50-50.
– Bukovyna – Obolon. The always relentless "brewers" against the ambitious newcomer to the UPL. What can be expected from this game?
– It will be a very interesting match. Bukovyna played quite well against LNZ - they had several good moments, although perhaps the Cherkasy team was not well prepared for this game after matches with Gent in European competitions. As for the game against Obolon? I repeat, the first rounds are always unpredictable - lots of surprises. It's also hard to say who the favorite is... Again, 50-50, everything will be decided on the football field. I don't see a favorite here.
– Zorya – Kryvbas. Experienced wards of Viktor Skrypnyk against the energetic Kryvbas, which plays football but also allows opponents to play. What are the expectations for this match?
– I don't think there will be a lot of goals scored here. Honestly, Kryvbas played quite well in the first half of the match against Karpaty (1:4), but then the "lions" crushed them. It seems to me that the favorite in this match is unequivocally Zorya from Luhansk. The players of the Luhansk club have more experience, so I consider this team as the favorite.
– Epitsentr – Shakhtar. Can the wards of Serhiy Nahorniak surprise the "miners" and give us a sensation?
– I think not. Because Shakhtar is currently in good form. From what I've seen, the Brazilians are just full of confidence: they score, play, win... I think it will be difficult for Epitsentr, as well as other teams, in matches against Shakhtar. The "miners" in general look like the main favorite for another UPL title. The level of players they have today is head and shoulders above all other UPL teams.
– Veres – Dynamo. A sensation is possible here, considering that the "blue and whites" are starting the season quite uncertainly... Will Kostyuk's wards not be able to create problems for the Kyiv grand?
– Dynamo beat Qarabag a few days ago (1:0). The "blue and whites" should beat Veres, even despite the difficult logistics and travels. They should be in a good mood after Qarabag... If Dynamo can't beat Veres, then what will we talk about... What can this team aspire to? Dynamo is a contender for the UPL championship. Veres is a good team, but Dynamo should comfortably win this game.
– Polissya – FC Kharkiv. Probably the central match of the round. Do you see a favorite here and what do you expect from this match?
– Definitely, the favorite is Polissya. The team is more balanced there, in my opinion, the Zhytomyr team has better players, although FC Kharkiv also has good performers. It will be a good battle of coaches: Rotan against Bartulovich. Mladen is a good coach, young enough and charismatic. This game will definitely be interesting. I give preference to Polissya because, in my opinion, this is the strongest team in the UPL, if we don't consider Shakhtar. The words of the president of the "wolves" after Copenhagen? I think it's not just emotions. This team has very strong players, a good coach, finances, a base - they have everything to win the championship. They have everything! If the president has created such conditions, he cannot be satisfied with 5th or 7th place. So, it's not emotions, it's the real desire of Hennadiy Butkevych.
– Karpaty – LNZ. Your beloved "lions" against LNZ. Who is the favorite in this match, in your opinion? What to expect in this game?
– In my opinion, the favorite is Karpaty. Why? Because the game will take place in Lviv, supported by our fans. In Lviv, there are the best fans, in my opinion. When people in Lviv start cheering, the legs run by themselves. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about. I expect the same game from Karpaty as against Kryvbas. We have every chance to beat LNZ. Although it is worth noting that LNZ is a good team, led by Vitaliy Ponomariov - a cool coach. This team will also compete for high places. If Karpaty want to be in the top 5 - they need to beat LNZ in a home match, that's for sure, - said Mikhail.
