Nazariy Voloshyn dominated the pitch as Dynamo Kyiv crushed Polissya Zhytomyr in the central match of Ukrainian Premier League's fourth matchday, earning himself the player of the week honors. The fourth round of matches came between the Ukrainian Cup fixtures and the international break, creating what could be described as a "middle" tour with many games characterized by quick goals at the beginning of halves.
"Our tactical approach worked perfectly today," head coach Oleksandr Shovkovsky might have said after the match, having been named the best manager of the round.
Polissya looked completely disorganized defensively, with goalkeeper Oleh Kudryk committing yet another crucial error that unraveled the visitors' game plan. The early substitution of Mykhailenko due to thigh muscle issues for Brazhko worked well for Dynamo, but it was mainly Polissya's defensive collapse that handed the Kyiv club an easy victory.
Shakhtar Donetsk maintained their winning form by defeating Oleksandriya 2-0, with the struggling silver medalists from last season still winless after four matches. Interestingly, Oleksandriya's debut goalkeeper Viktor Dolhyi became the unexpected highlight of the match after saving a penalty from Elias and making several other crucial saves after coming on as a substitute.
The coaching carousel may soon begin spinning in the UPL. Both Oleksandriya and Rukh Lviv delivered disappointing performances, with the latter also losing 2-0 to Metalist 1925 in Zhytomyr. A public argument between Rukh's foreign player Klaiver and coach Ivan Fedyk - who substituted the player just 12 minutes after bringing him on - suggests internal problems at the club that hasn't won since their opening match against SC Poltava.
Kryvbas secured their third consecutive league victory by defeating Obolon Kyiv, with Yehor Tverdokhlib scoring his first two goals of the season. Coach Patrick van Leeuwen seems to have found his rhythm after an opening day defeat.
Kudrivka continued their relatively successful home campaign at Obolon Arena with a 2-2 draw against Karpaty Lviv. The "green-whites" had a nightmare first half, conceding an early goal, missing several chances, receiving a red card for Babohlo, and then conceding again before halftime. However, they mounted a comeback with defender Jean Pedrozo scoring a spectacular long-range equalizer in stoppage time.
Zorya Luhansk took advantage of SC Poltava's defensive mistakes to secure a comfortable victory, while Veres finally claimed their first win of the season by defeating LNZ 2-0, handing the previously unbeaten and unconceded team their first loss.
Epicenter continued to struggle against the tough schedule they've faced as UPL newcomers, losing to Kolos after an unfortunate deflection. Their goalkeeper Oleh Bilyk remains their standout performer despite the defeat.
With the international break now upon us, will these trends continue when the league resumes? Several clubs might use this opportunity to reconsider their coaching situations, particularly those still hunting for their first victory of the season.
