Today the matches of Zorya — Shakhtar and Polissia — Dynamo start the 28th round of the Ukrainian Premier League. Interestingly, the battle is being fought at all levels of the tournament table. And about the main events of the game day, the website Sport.ua talked with former midfielder of Donetsk Shakhtar Serhiy Kovalov.
Serhiy Kovalov
— Serhiy, I wanted to ask right away, is Dynamo the champion?
— I wouldn't rush events. Today, the Kyivans will have a very tough game against Polissia, which is fighting for the European Cup zone, so the Zhytomyr team will make every effort to take their points. But if we assume that the Dynamo players win, then they can definitely be congratulated on winning the gold medals, even despite the victory of Oleksandriya.
A four-point advantage will remain since Oleksandr Shovkovskyi's team will not lose anything in their encounters with Chornomorets and Kolos.
— By the way, about Oleksandriya. Before the start of the championship, could you have assumed that Ruslan Rotan's team would challenge Dynamo and Shakhtar?
— In my opinion, by the end of last season, the outlines of the team play that we see in their performance in the current championship were already visible. A quality selection was made and Oleksandriya added further. The season opener is Ivan Kalyuzhny, who has grown into the national team. And such legionnaires fitted into the Alexandrians' team.
— For Shakhtar, is the 28th round the last chance to cling to the second place?
— Possibly. Since now Oleksandriya is waiting for a very tough match in Lviv against Karpaty. After that, Ruslan Rotan's team will have to play against Veres, which basically needs nothing anymore, and Chornomorets, for whom the last round may become a formality.
— In light of such results, do you think there will be organizational conclusions made in Shakhtar?
— I think so. Third place, if it happens, is naturally not the result expected from the miners. This is an extremely unfortunate summary of the season for a team that has become the champion of the country 15 times.
— What can you say about the situation in the relegation zone?
— The main contenders for relegation are Chornomorets and Inhulets. Perhaps, after changing the head coach, the Odesa team began to show better football, but unfortunately, this has not reflected on their results. They have already lost too much in the spring.
As for Vasyl Kobin's team, it is evident that they give their all in every match, but the selection of players does not allow the team to achieve the desired results.
— Whom will you give places for the playoff matches?
— For some reason, it seems to me that everything will remain as it is. That is, the 13th and 14th places will be taken by Left Bank, which infamously lost their missed match in Kryvyi Rih, and Vorskla... Although, wait. Given the pairs of teams in the upcoming round, a lot can change. We are waiting for head-to-head matches between Obolon — LNZ and Vorskla — Chornomorets. I think Kyivans or Cherkasy residents, in case of a victory, will guarantee themselves a ticket to UPL for the next season, while the one who loses will become one of the main contenders for the playoff matches.
At the same time, I am somewhat surprised by the spring results of LNZ, considering their player potential. Overall, we expect an intriguing round, both for teams in the upper part of the tournament table and for those fighting for a place in the sun.
Serhiy BOICHENKO
