Victor Skrypnyk has made a tactical adjustment to his defensive line as "Zorya" Luhansk prepares to face "Kudrivka" in the second round of the Ukrainian Premier League at Dynamo Stadium named after V. Lobanovskyi.
Skrypnyk opted to include Jordan in his starting eleven as part of a three-man central defense following the team's goalless draw against "LNZ" Cherkasy in their previous match.
"After analyzing our defensive performance against LNZ, we needed to strengthen our backline against an offensive-minded Kudrivka side," the Zorya manager might explain about his tactical decision.
On the opposite side, Vasyl Baranov isn't shying away from making his own adjustments. The Kudrivka coach has put Veklyak into the center of defense from the first minutes, clearly feeling confident after his team's impressive 3-1 victory over "Oleksandriya" in their season opener.
Interestingly, both managers seem to be focused on defensive stability for this matchup. Zorya's lineup features Saputin in goal with Perduta, Jordan, Yanich, Bashich, and Juninho completing the defensive unit. The midfield consists of Slesar, Michin, Salenko, and Vakula, with Budkivskyi leading the attack.
Kudrivka counters with Yashkov between the posts, protected by Machelyuk, Veklyak, Shapoval, and Melnychuk in defense. Dumanyuk, Storchous, and Nahnoyny form the midfield trio, while O. Kozak, Lehostayev, and Morozko constitute the attacking force.
Do these defensive reinforcements suggest we're in for a tactical battle rather than a goal fest? The second round clash should provide some answers about both teams' ambitions this season.
