Poltava - FC Kharkiv: match preview and prediction UPL
Polissya and FC Kharkiv will meet in the second round of the UPL. Read the match preview and forecast in the "Football 24" article.
On Monday, August 10, Polissya and FC Kharkiv will face each other in Zhytomyr as part of the second round of the Ukrainian Premier League. The game will be officiated by referee Viktor Kopiyevsky from Kropyvnytskyi. The opening whistle will sound at 15:30 Kyiv time.
Polissya had a great start to the season in the UPL, staging a spectacular comeback against Chornomorets. But FC Kharkiv is a much more serious opponent than the "sailors." On paper, Polissya is a huge favorite in the match, but Mladen Bartulovich and company will have a few aces up their sleeves.
And the first one is Ivan Kalyuzhny. SuperIvan worked with Ruslan Rotan for a long time. It was this duo that led Oleksandriya to historic silver in the UPL in the 2024/25 season. But now they are on opposite sides. Kalyuzhny knows the strengths and weaknesses of Ruslan Petrovich's tactical model. However, the question is whether the Kharkiv players will have enough resources to stop the "wolf pack" from Zhytomyr.
FC Kharkiv will try to take advantage of Polissya's problematic position – the goalkeeper. Georgiy Bushchan is a high-class goalkeeper for the UPL, but not flawless. When he is in form, he is hard to beat, but he can also make childish mistakes at times. Bartulovich's players will try to put maximum pressure on Bushchan in hopes of a "gift."
FC Kharkiv was known for its defense in the previous season when it was still called Metalist 1925. And here is a familiar face to Rotan – Artem Shabanov. The leader of Kharkiv's defense is already 34 years old, but his experience covers most weaknesses. Igor Krasnopir, along with Leandro Andrade and other attacking players of the "wolves," will look for Shabanov's and company's vulnerabilities.
Last season, Krasnopir received a call-up from the Ukrainian national team, making it to the reserve list. But now he will pursue a higher goal: to make it into Andrea Maldera's squad and challenge Dovbyk, Ponomarenko, and Yaremchuk.
Team news
Doubtful: Tomandzoto (Polissya)
There are doubts about Borel Tomandzoto's availability for the match. There were reports in the media that the Polissya midfielder suffered an injury that could sideline him until the end of August. However, the Zhytomyr team's press service recently posted a video on social media showing Borel dancing at the club's base, so there is a chance that the Congolese player was lucky and his injury is not serious.
Possible lineups
Polissya: Bushchan – Mykhailichenko, Krasnichi, Chobotenko, Krushynsky – Tomandzoto, Emerlakhu, Andriyevsky – Veleten, Hayduchyk, Andrade.
FC Kharkiv: Yevrmakov – Krupsky, Shabanov, Pavlyuk, Martinyuk – Kalyuzhny, Yatsyk, Profini – Parako, Castillo, Rashitsa.
Football 24 Forecast – Polissya to win.
This season, Polissya truly has championship ambitions. This was evident in the transfer market with strong signings, but now the ambitions must be confirmed on the football field. If the "wolves" can start the UPL with a series of victories, they will indeed have a chance to challenge Shakhtar.
FC Kharkiv also has ambitions. The club dreams of at least qualifying for European competitions. But the competition for these places will be even tougher than last season. In the head-to-head match, both FC Kharkiv and Polissya must prove that they deserve top positions in the UPL. But only one team can win this game.
