Shakhtar will test Kharkiv's ambitions, Karpaty will play a derby with Bukovyna: preview of the 3rd round of the UPL
The Ukrainian Premier League is gradually gaining momentum. On Friday, August 14, the third round of Ukraine's strongest division will start and will last for four days.
The central event of the round will be the confrontation between ambitious Kharkiv and the current UPL champion Shakhtar. Equally interesting will be the duel between Kyiv's Dynamo and Kolos, who will try to take advantage of the opponent's fatigue after a European Cup match. The meeting between Polissya and Zorya will also be intriguing, while in the western Ukrainian derby, Karpaty will host Bukovyna.
"Champion" presents the main intrigues of the 3rd round.
Friday, August 14:
18:00. Epitsentr - Veres.
Saturday, August 15:
13:00. Kryvbas - Livyi Bereh;
15:30. Kudrivka - Obolon;
18:00. Karpaty - Bukovyna.
Sunday, August 16:
13:00. LNZ - Chornomorets;
15:30. Kharkiv - Shakhtar;
18:00. Dynamo - Kolos.
Monday, August 17:
18:00. Polissya - Zorya.
Will Epitsentr secure their first victory against Veres
The match in Kamianets-Podilskyi will open the program of the 3rd round of the UPL. Thanks to a crushing victory over Obolon (3:0), Epitsentr is in the top five of the league table. In the previous round, under the guidance of Serhiy Nahorniak, they lost to Shakhtar (0:2), leaving a positive impression with their readiness to challenge the champion.
Veres had an unsuccessful start in the championship, suffering two consecutive defeats. However, Oleh Shandruk's team could count on a draw in matches against Kharkiv (0:1) and Dynamo (1:2). In both games, the Rivne "Wolves" did not look hopeless but conceded decisive goals towards the end of the game.
The history of the clubs' head-to-head matches includes five games, two of which were in the UPL. Epitsentr has failed to beat Veres in any of them: three matches ended in favor of the "Wolves," and two did not determine the winner.
The transitional matches in the summer of 2024 add extra significance to the confrontation when Veres retained their UPL status, preventing a representative from Khmelnytskyi from entering the elite league.
A Convenient Opponent for Kryvbas
Kryvyi Rih's Kryvbas managed to surprise in the previous round by defeating Zorya (3:1) away. Patrick van Leeuwen's team proved that they should not be underestimated. One of the heroes of the match was Panamanian midfielder Giovanni Herbert, who scored a beautiful goal and was named the best player of the round.
Livyi Bereh played only one match after returning to the UPL - in the second round, the "Storks" shared points with Kudrivka (0:0). Kyivans are still completing their squad by signing relatively unknown foreign players.
The club's transfer policy resembles that of Kryvbas. One of the new signings for Livyi Bereh is Central African Republic national team defender Severin Tatolna. However, it is currently difficult to assess the level of the newcomers as head coach Oleksandr Riabokon relies more on experienced players.
In the 2024/25 season, Kryvbas defeated Livyi Bereh twice in the championship with an overall score of 6:0. However, many things have changed in both clubs since then, including the coaching staff.
Who Will Secure the First Victory of the Season?
Before the start of the 2026/27 season, Obolon and Kudrivka were considered contenders for survival. The first two rounds only confirmed these predictions: the opponents each secured a draw and suffered crushing defeats.
In the previous round, the "Northerners" looked quite competitive against Livyi Bereh (0:0). Oleksandr Protsenko's team could have aimed for more if they had converted their chances.
Obolon is playing the initial rounds away due to the reconstruction of their own stadium. Head coach of the "Brewers" Oleksandr Antonenko has to rely on an "away" style of play with an emphasis on defense. The real revelation of the last round was Obolon's goalkeeper Kyrylo Barantsov. In his UPL debut, he kept a clean sheet, making several impressive saves.
At the elite level, the opponents have met twice. Currently, Kudrivka holds a slight advantage: one victory (1:0) and one draw (1:1).
Will Bukovyna Stop the League Leader?
The last time the opponents met at the elite level was in 1994. Back then, Bukovyna celebrated a victory in Chernivtsi with a score of 3:2. At the end of the 1993/94 season, Karpaty finished 5th, while the "Yellow-Blacks" left the top league for a long 32 years.
Karpaty will play their second consecutive home game. Fran Fernandes' team secured two victories at the start of the championship and currently tops the league table due to a better goal difference.
Before the western Ukrainian derby, the "Lions" signed French forward Joseph Seri. Prior to his arrival as a center forward, Yan Kostenko had performed quite successfully. It will be interesting to see whom the Spanish specialist entrusts with a starting position.
Currently, Bukovyna has yet to secure a victory. Under the guidance of Serhiy Shyshchenko, they played two goalless draws against Obolon and LNZ. The "Yellow-Blacks" made significant changes to their squad in the summer and have not fully adapted to the UPL. Bukovyna creates enough chances, but lacks a prolific striker.
LNZ Will Try to Make Amends, Chornomorets Returns to the Championship
The Sunday match between LNZ and Chornomorets will open the game program. The vice-champions of Ukraine had a disappointing start to the championship. In the opening round, Vitaliy Ponomariov's team failed to beat Bukovyna, and in the last round, they were soundly defeated by Karpaty (0:3). Interestingly, the "Violets" have yet to score a goal.
Chornomorets missed the last round due to a terrorist attack by Russia on the Odessa stadium. During the summer break, Roman Hryhorchuk's team underwent significant changes. The "Sailors" have enough qualified players, but they still lack cohesion.In the first round, Chornomorets created many problems for Polissya, narrowly losing to one of the season's favorites 1:2.
The history of the teams' confrontation includes four matches. Odessa's slight advantage: two wins, one draw, and one victory for LNZ. The goal difference is 5:4 in favor of Chornomorets.
The first serious test for Shakhtar and Kharkiv's chance for redemption
The central match of the round will be the game between Kharkiv and Shakhtar. The "Golden-Orange" are considered contenders for the 2026/27 season awards. Kharkiv's owners invest significant funds in the club's development and expect corresponding results on the football field.
However, Bartulovich's team did not pass the first serious test of the season - in a crucial confrontation, Kharkiv lost to Polissya (1:3).
Meanwhile, Donetsk started the championship very confidently. The "Miners" secured two victories without extra effort and are currently in the top part of the table alongside Karpaty and Polissya. However, Shakhtar has not yet played against top-5 teams from the previous season. The match against Kharkiv could be an indicator of Donetsk's current form.
In the previous championship, Kharkiv played a draw (1:1) and lost (0:1) against "Shakhtar." In both matches, Bartulovich's team conceded after a penalty.
In total, the teams have played seven head-to-head matches, with Kharkiv never defeating Shakhtar in any of them. Only two matches ended in a draw. The goal difference is also impressive: 15:2 in favor of Donetsk. However, this all relates to the Metalist era of 1925.
Will Kolos take advantage of Dynamo's fatigue?
Kyiv Dynamo could have postponed the match against Kolos due to their participation in European competitions. However, the "blue and whites" refused to reschedule the game. Therefore, Dynamo will have only two days to prepare for the match, with most of the time spent traveling from Baku to Kyiv.
Kovalivka could take advantage of Dynamo's fatigue and fight for points. In the previous championship, Kolos already defeated Dynamo (2:1) and will try to repeat this success and improve their statistics.
In historical confrontations, "blue and whites" have the advantage: 9 wins against two for Kolos. Five more matches ended in a draw. It was against Dynamo that Kolos suffered their biggest defeat in UPL - 0:7 in the 2021/22 season. Overall, Kyiv scored 38 goals against their opponents in 16 matches, conceding only 14.
Due to disqualification, Mykita Burda will not play against Dynamo - a graduate of the "blue and white" academy and a former player of the Kyiv club.
Polissya will try to get revenge on Zorya
The round will close with a match in Zhytomyr, where the local Polissya will face Zorya. A bright victory of the "Wolves" over Kharkiv (3:1) in the previous round allowed them to enter the top three leaders.
Ruslan Rotan's team is considered one of the season's favorites, capable of challenging the current champion. However, the next opponent of Zhytomyr is definitely not an easy one.
Despite the defeat by Krivbas (1:3), the "black and whites" can create problems for any team. Their place in the middle of the table does not correspond to the ambitions of coach Viktor Skrypnyk and the club's management. Therefore, the "men" will try to take points from the favorite on their field.
In head-to-head confrontations, Polissya has the advantage: three wins and three draws in six matches. In the penultimate round of the previous championship, Luhansk took two points from the "Wolves," which were not enough to win the "silver." Therefore, Rotan's team will have a chance to settle the score.
Where to watch the matches of the 3rd round of the UPL
All matches of the 3rd round of the Ukrainian Premier League can be watched on the official UPL.TV channel.
The broadcasts will be available on OTT platforms MEGOGO, Kyivstar TV, SWEET.TV, and Vodafone TV, as well as international services OneFootball and GONET.TV. In addition, UPL.TV is included in the packages of several cable and IPTV providers, including Volia, triolan.TV, IPnet, and KOLO.TB, and is also available on the Viasat satellite platform.
On the official website and YouTube channel of UPL.TV, you will find match reviews, highlights, interviews, and other exclusive content.
