Gleiker Mendoza scored the lone goal for Kryvbas in what turned into a disappointing 5-1 thrashing by "Dynamo Zagreb" in their final pre-season friendly at Maksimir Stadium.
Despite taking an early lead through Mendoza's strike in the 16th minute, the Ukrainian side couldn't maintain their advantage. The Croatian champions responded quickly with two first-half goals and added three more after the break to complete the rout.
The match started poorly for Patrick van Leuwen's squad when Yurchets received a red card in just the 11th minute, forcing Kryvbas to play most of the game with ten men. Not ideal preparation, is it?
After Mendoza put Kryvbas ahead, "Dynamo Zagreb" equalized through Vidovic at the 20-minute mark. Ljubicic then gave the hosts the lead in the 32nd minute before adding his second shortly after halftime. The Croatian side finished the job with Varela scoring in the 82nd minute, followed by an unfortunate Viliwald own goal two minutes later.
Interestingly, this heavy defeat comes just days before Kryvbas begins their 2025/26 Ukrainian Premier League campaign. The team will face "Kolos" away from home in the season opener scheduled for Friday, August 1.
Kryvbas used numerous substitutions throughout the match, with Kemkin starting in goal before being replaced by Khoma in the 70th minute. The early red card clearly disrupted van Leuwen's plans, forcing a defensive reshuffle just 13 minutes into the game.
Can Kryvbas shake off this disappointing result before their league opener? With just days to regroup, van Leuwen's team will need to quickly address the defensive issues exposed by the Croatian champions.
