Ivan Fedik prepares for his second match as head coach of "Ruh" Lviv against reigning champions "Dynamo" Kyiv in the Ukrainian Premier League's second round this Friday. The newly appointed manager, who previously served as the club's football director, faces a challenging test at Stadium Ukraine in Lviv.
"We've undergone significant changes this summer, but our first victory showed we're on the right track," – Fedik might say about his team's situation after their 2-1 win against newcomers SC Poltava in the opening match.
The Lviv side has experienced a major overhaul during the summer break. The departure of coach Vitaliy Ponomaryov to LNZ took five key players with him – Didyk, Ledviy, Ryabov, Horin, and young goalkeeper Bakus. These losses hit "Ruh" hard, as most were regular starters. Klimchuk moved to Kolos Kovalivka, while Karabin joined Lviv's "Karpaty". Remenyak now plays for first-league FC Phoenix-Mariupol.
To fill these gaps, "Ruh" brought in Moldovan midfielder Vlad Reilyan on loan from Zimbru and defender Yuriy Kopyna from Oleksandriya, who previously played for the Lviv team. Other positions are now covered by the club's youth academy graduates from the U-19 team.
"Dynamo" Kyiv isn't having the smoothest start either. Despite beginning the season well, their defeat to Paphos in the Conference League revealed they're far from optimal form. By the way, the Kyiv team made numerous mistakes and failed to convert their chances, showing signs of nervousness throughout the match.
The lack of reinforcements is evident for the champions. After Syrota and Dyachuk left, only three central defenders remain – clearly insufficient for competing in three tournaments. Nevertheless, "Dynamo" has always struggled with central defense issues.
Some interesting stats ahead of the match: "Dynamo's" unbeaten run in the championship spans 33 matches (23 wins, 10 draws), while away from home they haven't lost in 17 games (11 wins, 6 draws). Meanwhile, "Ruh" could secure their 40th victory in the UPL and continue their five-match unbeaten home streak.
This match will mark Oleksandr Shovkovskyi's 60th game as a coach in the UPL, while Ivan Fedik will reach his 30th. Vladyslav Vanat could make his 100th UPL appearance. Will "Ruh's" makeshift squad be able to challenge the champions, or will "Dynamo" extend their impressive unbeaten run despite their European setback?
