Coach: "Kharkiv has a very good selection of players, but lacks teamwork"
Already this Friday, August 14, the third round of the Ukrainian Premier League starts: the return of Roman Hryhorchuk to Cherkasy, another test for FC Kharkiv, and a check of the "lions" against Bukovyna from Chernivtsi.
Famous Ukrainian coach Oleksandr Kucher shared his expectations for the upcoming matches of the Ukrainian Premier League. The specialist believes in Polissya, expects victories from LNZ, and wants to see the renewed Karpaty in action.
BETKING is a strategic partner of the Ukrainian Premier League
– Epitsentr - Veres. In your opinion, a match between two fairly equal teams. Do you see a favorite here and what do you expect from this match?
– Yes, I agree with you, it's hard to choose a favorite in this match. Both Epitsentr and Veres are "home" teams. These teams always play quite well in home matches - they always put up a fight, even against the leaders. I think we can expect an interesting game. I would probably give the advantage to Epitsentr - they look quite good and will be playing at home.
– Kudrivka - Obolon. A match between two teams that, in my opinion, will be fighting for survival this season. What are your thoughts on this game?
– Yes, these are equal opponents. It's hard to choose a favorite in this match. This is a "six-pointer" game. I believe that in this game, the team that can score first will win. I would give a slight advantage to Obolon in this game.
– Karpaty - Bukovyna. Fran Fernandes' team had a great start to the championship, with crushing victories over Kryvbas (4:1) and LNZ (3:0). Can ambitious Sergey Shyshchenko's team create problems for the "lions"?
– This game will be really interesting to watch. Last year, Bukovyna managed to knock Karpaty out of the Ukrainian Cup. The Ukraine Stadium in Lviv has already become home for Sergey Shyshchenko's team. It will be interesting to see how they play against Karpaty. The favorite in this match is the "lions" - they are showing good form, which helped them secure two good victories at the start of the championship.
– LNZ - Chornomorets. Vitaliy Ponomaryov's team is struggling at the start of the championship, while the "sailors" played a decent game against Polissya but had to skip the second round match. Can Roman Hryhorchuk's team surprise the vice-champion of UPL?
– I think it will be difficult for the "sailors." LNZ has already lost points at the start of the championship. I think Vitaliy Ponomaryov's team did not expect to return from Lviv with just one point after two matches. I think the "violets" will put in maximum effort to beat Chornomorets and secure their first victory of the season. Vitaliy Ponomaryov has a strong team - they are very well prepared physically. I believe it will be difficult for Chornomorets. Therefore, LNZ is the favorite in this match. The "sailors" can only be helped by "closed football" and quick transitions from defense to attack.
– Kryvbas - Livyi Bereh. Courageous and energetic Patrick van Leeuwen's team against pragmatic guys of Oleksandr Riabokon. Can Kryvyi Rih win against the "storks"?
– I think Kryvbas will want to win this match. Patrick van Leeuwen's team is a bit shaky: a fiasco against Karpaty (1:4), but a bright victory over Zorya from Luhansk. Of course, they will want to beat Livyi Bereh and please their fans. I believe that Kryvbas is the favorite in the match against Livyi Bereh. Kryvbas lacks stability, and I don't think they can count on high places in the championship standings.
– Dynamo - Kolos. What do you expect from this match? Can Ruslan Kostyshyn's team cause problems for Kyiv Dynamo, which will return to UPL battles after the match with Qarabag in Azerbaijan?
– I think anything is possible, of course. I believe that Kolos will want to do it. We saw Dynamo's game against Veres (2:1) - it was not easy for the "blue and whites." I think Ruslan Kostyshyn's team will also be able to cause them some problems. Still, I consider Dynamo the favorite in this match, but the game will be tough and interesting. It will be a tough game for Dynamo! And for Kolos, of course, as well, but.... We expect results and good play from our grand! Dynamo is currently not showing the results that the fans want to see. The games are very challenging for them.
Distrust of Yarmolenko and Buyalsky from Kostyuk? Well, I can't comment on that. I know for sure that both Buyalsky and Yarmolenko will always help Dynamo on the football field.
– Kharkiv - Shakhtar. Probably the central match of the 3rd round of UPL. Do you agree? What do you expect from this game: can Mladen Bartulovich's team support their ambitions for medals with a worthy game against the UPL grand?
– Yes, that's right... It will be interesting to see. In the previous round, they lost to Zhytomyr Polissya in a crucial match (1:3), and now they face Shakhtar. Yes, the ambitions of FC Kharkiv are quite high. It will be very interesting to see if they can back up these ambitions with a good game and result against Shakhtar. Of course, Shakhtar is the favorite. It's hard to compete with them now. Shakhtar is the strongest team in UPL, but we can expect a very interesting game.
FC Kharkiv has a very good selection of players, but they seem to lack coordination and teamwork, which is clearly seen in Polissya's players. Thanks to their coordinated teamwork, the "wolves" were able to defeat FC Kharkiv.
– Polissya - Zorya. Ruslan Rotan's team has six points after two matches played. In your opinion, will the "wolves" continue their winning streak in UPL in the match against Zorya?
– We hope for the continuation of this winning streak from the "wolves" in UPL. I like how they work - it's a well-coordinated mechanism. Of course, Zorya can always "bite." Victor Skrypnyk's team has ups and downs: bright matches alternate with dull ones. Perhaps they will take into account the mistakes that prevented them from beating Kryvbas and will be able to put up a fight, but Polissya is the favorite in this encounter," Kucher said.
