Mladen Bartulovich prepares for his 30th Ukrainian Premier League match as he leads "Metalist 1925" against Kyiv's "Obolon" in the opening round of the 2025/26 season. The match kicks off this Sunday, August 3rd, at 18:00 at Zhytomyr's Central Stadium.
"Metalist 1925" returns to the top flight after spending last season in the First League. The Kharkiv club secured their comeback through playoffs against "Livyi Bereh" Kyiv, though this victory came with complications – they lost access to their usual stadium due to fan behavior and subsequent conflict between the clubs.
By the way, the yellow-blues have made impressive transfers under their wealthy new owners. Artem Shabanov, Ivan Kaliuzhnyi, and Oleksandr Martyniuk arrived from Oleksandria, while Illia Krupskyi and Yevhen Pavliuk joined from Vorskla. The club also welcomed back Ihor Kohut from his loan at Chornomorets, signed Oleksii Sydorov from Kolos, Raymond Owusu from Horna, and acquired Denys Antiukh from Zorya.
"Obolon", meanwhile, faces significant challenges. The Kyiv side lost head coach Serhii Shyshchenko – the architect of their survival last season – and operates with limited financial resources. Oleksandr Antonenko, who worked as Shyshchenko's assistant, now takes the helm for his debut match as head coach in the UPL.
"We understand the difficulty of this fixture, especially against such a strengthened opponent, but we're prepared to fight," – a statement that might reflect Antonenko's mindset heading into Sunday's clash.
The "brewers" did manage some signings despite their budget constraints. They rescued Ivan Nesterenko and Artem Kulakovskyi from the sinking Vorskla, brought in defender Yevhenii Shevchenko from Veres, signed Dmytro Semenov from Livyi Bereh, and even loaned Yevhenii Pasich from their upcoming opponents, "Metalist 1925". Maksym Chekh arrived from Karpaty to bolster the midfield.
Bookmakers clearly favor the Kharkiv side, offering odds of 1.82 for a "Metalist 1925" win compared to 4.65 for an "Obolon" victory. A draw stands at 3.60.
The head-to-head record also tilts toward the Kyiv club – five wins for "Obolon" against just two for "Metalist 1925", with two draws completing their nine previous encounters. However, "Metalist 1925" boasts significantly stronger reinforcements this season.
Some interesting stats: "Obolon" hasn't drawn away from home in seven consecutive matches (3 wins, 4 losses), while "Metalist 1925" has conceded in 23 straight UPL games – a concerning 52 goals total. Can Bartulovich's men finally keep a clean sheet?
The match will be broadcast live on UPL.TV with Oleh Kohut from Ternopil serving as the main referee. With ambitious Kharkiv club facing resilient Kyiv opposition, Sunday's finale to the opening round promises plenty of intrigue. Will "Metalist 1925"'s impressive transfer campaign translate to immediate results, or can Antonenko's men spring a surprise in his managerial debut?
