Oleksandr Lipenko's column. Ukraine is a football country

Each of the 32 championships of Ukraine left its mark in the history of our football and was memorable.

For example, the 2021/2022 tournament, due to the full-scale aggression of Muscovy against Ukraine, was interrupted after the 18th round without determining the champion and prize-winners.

At that time, the leading three looked like this: "Shakhtar - 47 points, Dynamo - 46, Dnipro-1 - 40.

This unfinished championship lasted 285 days. In 240 matches played, 587 goals were scored. Despite the hostilities, Ukraine confirmed that it is a football country.

Let us remember what the last championship was like, which was won for the 14th time by Shakhtar. Interesting statistics of this tournament.

The 11th round was the most productive (29 goals scored), while in the 8th round in 6 matches the gates were "locked". The teams scored only 12 goals.

In four rounds out of 30 the referees did not record any draws (11th, 26th, 27th and 29th).

The record victory was recorded in the match of round 16. "Shakhtar away defeated Metalist 1925 - 7:0. "The Pitmen were the most productive team in the championship - 69 goals.

Metalist goalkeepers, who left the UPL, conceded the most goals - 58. "Lviv" also said goodbye to the elite league. Its players scored 18 goals, and this club conceded 52.

The bronze medallist of the UPL championship "Zorya" had a winning streak of seven rounds (21 - 27).

In games 2 - 6 rounds Dnipro-1, which won silverware for the first time, kept their gates "dry". They were guarded by Max Vallef.

"Ingulets", who left the top class, in seven rounds (22 - 26) could not hit the opponents' gates.

The most popular score of the 32nd championship - 1:0. So ended 57 meetings (27 victories on the account of the hosts, 30 - guests).

For the first time the silver and bronze medallists scored the same number of 67 points.

Shakhtar have 15 dry games, Dynamo have 14, Dnipro-1 and Kolos have 13 each.

12 cards - 9 yellow and 3 red - were shown by Dnipro referee Vitaliy Romanov in one match. It was the match of the 12th round Kryvbas vs Vorskla - 1:0.

The record has survived

In 30 matches played, Dnipro-1 goalkeeper Artem Dovbik scored 24 goals, eight of them on penalties. On his account are three "hat-tricks".

I would like to remind you that the Ukrainian league record in terms of goals scored belongs to Henrikh Mkhitaryan. In the 2012/2013 season, the Shakhtar player scored 25 times.

And one more record, it was set in the 32nd championship, and if it will be improved, then, in my opinion, not soon. Already in the 21st second of the matchday 19 against Chornomorets, Shakhtar's Dmytro Krys'kiv helped the Odessians to open the scoring. The game did not decide the winner - 2:2.

For the second time Dynamo without awards

Dynamo Kyiv saddened the fans in the 32nd championship. The 16-time champions of Ukraine, 12-time owners of silver medals and one bronze medal were unrewarded for the second time.

Having scored 60 points, won 18 matches, drawn 6 games and lost to their opponents in 6 matches, Mircea Lucescu's wards took the 4th place. Dynamo scored 51 goals and conceded 25.

Vitaliy Buyalskiy (27 games) and Vladislav Vanat (25) scored 12 goals each. Buyalskiy made 6 more goal assists.

In 30 matches of the championship 35 Dynamo players took part, 15 of them scored goals.

As guests Dynamo won 11 out of 15 matches, drew 2 and lost 2, scored 29 goals and conceded 21. They scored 35 points. This is the best result among 16 clubs.

But in "home walls" they won only 7 games out of 15, 4 drew, 4 lost, goals - 22-13. We scored 25 points. This is where the medals "slipped" from the multiple champion. I wanted it to be the last time. I believe that soon the stands of Dynamo stadium will be filled with fans again. And they will demand from their favourite team the winning game, to which it has accustomed them.

Despite the difficult time, the 33rd Ukrainian Championship started on 28 July. The finish of the tournament is 18 May 2024.

We hope there will be a lot of interesting things in it as well. So there will be something to talk about...

Oleksandr LIPENKO for Dynamo.kiev.ua