Kauan Elias broke the deadlock with just 11 minutes remaining to give "Shakhtar" Donetsk a narrow 1-0 victory over newcomers "Epicenter" Kamianets-Podilskyi in the opening round of the 2025/26 Ukrainian Premier League season. The match, played in Ternopil, remained goalless for nearly 80 minutes before the Brazilian substitute made his mark.
"Sometimes patience is the key in these tough opening fixtures. We knew the goal would come if we kept pushing," a relieved Shakhtar coaching staff member might have noted after the hard-fought win.
The first half was a tactical affair with neither side able to find the breakthrough despite Shakhtar's possession advantage. The defending champions continued to press after the break but found "Epicenter's" defense difficult to penetrate. The deadlock continued until the 79th minute when Elias, who had replaced Traore in the 53rd minute, finally found the net to secure all three points for the Donetsk side.
Interestingly, "Epicenter" showed remarkable resilience throughout the match, with goalkeeper Bilyk keeping his side in the game until Elias's decisive strike. The newcomers had to make an early substitution when Yanakov was replaced by Bezhenar in just the 25th minute, potentially disrupting their tactical setup.
The victory puts "Shakhtar" on a positive footing as they prepare for a busy week ahead. Do they have enough depth to handle the demanding schedule? They'll face Greek side Panathinaikos in Athens this Thursday in the first leg of the Europa League third qualifying round before traveling to take on "Karpaty" Lviv in domestic action on Sunday, August 10.
Meanwhile, "Epicenter" will look to bounce back from this narrow defeat when they visit "LNZ" Cherkasy on Saturday, August 9.
The match stats tell the story of a tight contest, with both Kosh and Moros picking up yellow cards for the home side as they fought to contain Shakhtar's attacking talent. Despite the defeat, "Epicenter" can take encouragement from their competitive display against one of Ukraine's powerhouse clubs.
