Ukrainian Premier League Round 24 Fixture
The Ukrainian Premier League's 24th round features a clash on April 20th between Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Polissya Zhytomyr. Bookmaker GGBET has released the following odds for the match:
- Shakhtar to win — odds of 1.92
- Polissya to win — odds of 4.39
- Draw — odds of 3.54
- Exact score 1:1 — odds of 6.47
- Total goals over 3.5 — odds of 3.79
Team Form Ahead of the Match
Shakhtar enters this fixture with mixed recent results. Their last match was a 3:0 victory over Rukh Lviv, with Eginaldo scoring twice and Meireles adding another goal. However, prior to that, they drew 2:2 with LNZ Cherkasy, with goals from an own goal by Ryabov and another from Eginaldo.
Polissya is also in decent form. Their most recent outing was a 1:1 draw with Veres Rivne, with Andriyevskyi scoring their goal. Earlier, they secured a convincing 4:0 win over Poltava, with goals from Hutsuliak, Andriyevskyi, Sarapii, and Maisuradze.
The head-to-head history between these sides reveals a surprising trend: Shakhtar has never defeated Polissya in the Ukrainian championship. All three of their previous league meetings have ended in victories for Polissya, while two other encounters finished as goalless draws. The first leg of this season in Zhytomyr also ended in a draw.
Shakhtar's projected starting lineup is as follows:
- Riznyk
- Konoplia
- Bondar
- Marlon
- Pedro Henrique
- Bondarenko
- Nazarina
- Gomes
- Alisson
- Traore
- Eginldo
Polissya's expected lineup, meanwhile, includes:
- Volynets
- Mykhaylychenko
- Chobotko
- Sarapii
- Khrushchynskyi
- Babenko
- Hutsuliak
- Andriyevskyi
- Emerllahu
- Bragaru
- Krasnopir
The match is scheduled for 18:00 Kyiv time and will be broadcast on UPL.TV. This fixture is a key test for both clubs as they aim to climb the table in the latter stages of the season.
This match is a significant event not only for the teams involved but also for fans following the Premier League title race and European qualification spots. Despite the bookmakers favoring Shakhtar, the historical record gives Polissya a psychological edge, which could make for a tense and unpredictable contest. The outcome is crucial for both sides' ambitions to improve their league standing.
As both teams prepare for this crucial clash, it's worth noting Polissya's recent form, having shown resilience in their matches. For a deeper insight into how Polissya managed to establish themselves as a strong contender against teams like Poltava, check out our analysis on why they are favored in their recent matchups.