Nazaar Prokopenko scored the lone goal for "Oleksandriya" as the Ukrainian club lost 1:2 to Montenegrin side "Mladost" in a pre-season friendly match on July 17. This was just one of four identical defeats suffered by Ukrainian Premier League clubs during their preparation campaigns.
Prokopenko found the net in the 27th minute of the first match, but two goals from the Montenegrin opponents (in the 9th and 75th minutes) sealed the loss for Kyrylo Nesterenko's squad.
"Oleksandriya" had no time to dwell on the defeat as they faced another opponent the same day. In their second match, the team lost by the same scoreline to Croatian "Slaven Belupo." Kyrylo Kovalets scored for the Ukrainian side in the 40th minute from a corner kick, but Tomislav Božić equalized just three minutes later, and Mikhail Kaymanov secured the win for the Croatians with a goal in the 85th minute.
By the way, "Oleksandriya" fielded completely different lineups for both matches, giving all players valuable minutes during pre-season.
Elsewhere, Bruninho put "Karpaty" Lviv ahead against Hungarian "Győr" in the 10th minute, but the lead was short-lived. Claudiu Bumba equalized after just five minutes, and Milan Vitalis scored the winner for the Hungarian side in the 86th minute.
"Karpaty" made numerous substitutions throughout the match, with most changes coming in the latter stages as they tried to find an equalizer. Did fatigue play a role in conceding that late goal?
Completing the day of 1:2 defeats, Juninho scored for "Zorya" Luhansk against Croatian "Varaždin," but his 64th-minute goal wasn't enough. Ivan Mamut had given the Croatians the lead in the 19th minute, and Leon Belkar sealed the win with a goal in the second minute of stoppage time. "Zorya" finished the match with ten men after a red card in the 89th minute.
All four Ukrainian clubs will be looking to improve their results as their pre-season preparations continue. The identical scorelines make for an unusual coincidence – four matches, four Ukrainian teams, four 1:2 defeats. Can they turn things around before the competitive season begins?
