Vladislav Lupashko will lead his team into action as "Karpaty" Lviv takes on UAE's "Sharjah" in a pre-season friendly match today, July 21. The Ukrainian side continues their preparation for the upcoming season with this international test scheduled to kick off at 18:00 local time.
"These pre-season matches are crucial for us to evaluate our squad and implement our tactical ideas before competitive games begin," the Karpaty coach might explain about the importance of such fixtures.
The Lviv club is looking to improve on their sixth-place finish in last season's Ukrainian Premier League. Their opponents today are no pushovers - "Sharjah" ended their previous campaign as runners-up in the UAE championship.
By the way, this match represents an interesting clash between teams from different footballing cultures, with the Ukrainian side's traditional European approach meeting the evolving style of UAE football.
Both teams will likely use this friendly to give minutes to their squad players and test various tactical setups. Can the Lviv outfit hold their own against the Emirati vice-champions? We'll find out soon enough.
