Oleksiy Hutsuliak scored the opening goal but couldn't prevent "Polissya" Zhytomyr from suffering a 1:2 home defeat against Andorran side "Santa Coloma" in the first leg of the Conference League second qualifying round.
The Ukrainian team started promisingly when Hutsuliak put the hosts ahead in the 21st minute, giving local fans something to cheer about. However, the celebration didn't last long.
Just six minutes later, Ota Remolins equalized for the visitors, silencing the home crowd. "Santa Coloma" completed their comeback shortly before halftime when David Crespo fired in a spectacular strike from the edge of the penalty area in the 44th minute.
Interestingly, "Polissya" made several substitutions throughout the match in an attempt to turn things around. Coach Leonid Boyev introduced Taylor and Sarapiy at halftime, replacing Khadroy and Beskorovainyi, but these changes failed to spark a revival.
The Ukrainian side now faces an uphill battle in the return leg. Can "Polissya" overcome this deficit when they travel to Andorra? They'll need to score at least twice while keeping "Santa Coloma" at bay – certainly a tough ask against opponents who've already proven their quality.
The defeat marks a disappointing European night for Ukrainian football, with "Polissya" needing a significantly improved performance in the second leg to keep their Conference League dreams alive.
