Goalkeeper Sapuutin of "Zorya" Luhansk maintained a clean sheet in the first match of the Ukrainian Premier League 2025/26 season as his team played to a 0-0 draw against "LNZ" Cherkasy. The game, held in Kyiv, featured numerous scoring opportunities for both sides, but finishing quality was notably absent throughout the 90 minutes.
"Both teams created chances but lacked that final touch in front of goal. Sometimes that's how season openers go," a disappointed coach could be heard saying after the match.
Zorya tried to break the deadlock with their attacking trio of Slesar, Budkivskyi, and Vakula, but even their best efforts couldn't find the back of the net. Manager made substitutions in the second half, bringing on Maткevich for Vakula in the 59th minute, followed by more changes as Ruan, Malysh, and Jordan all entered the pitch in the final 15 minutes.
Interestingly, "LNZ" also made a series of substitutions to try and change their fortunes. Tankovskyi and Kushnirenko both came off in the 55th minute, replaced by Ryabov and Nonikashvili. Later, Prosper and Einel were introduced for Kuzyk and Bennett respectively.
Despite both teams exchanging good goal-scoring opportunities throughout the match, the forwards on both sides somehow managed to miss even from the most promising positions. Not a single shot found its target.
By the way, this result marks the first point in the 2025/26 campaign for both teams as they begin their journey in Ukraine's top flight. For "LNZ" from Cherkasy, this will be considered a positive start against the more established Luhansk side.
Will either team find their shooting boots in the next round? Only time will tell, but both managers surely have some finishing drills planned for the coming week.
