U21. Shakhtar vs Metalurh Z: match preview

26-08-15 15:06:37

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On Thursday, in the Ukrainian League round 6 among youth teams, the Pitmen are to receive Zaporizhya-based Metalurh. We invite you to read the match preview.

August 27, Schaslyve, Knyazha Arena stadium, 17:30

After a two-week break, the U21 League season resumes. In the matchday opening game, the competition leaders Shakhtar U21 are to play in Schaslyve the Zaporizhya-based side, who currently sit the 11th spot having five points. Having beaten Dnipro 2-0 in the last round of the past league season, the team of Miguel Cardoso continues producing top results – five wins in five matches. The Pitmen’s closest pursuers Zorya, Oleksandriya and Dnipro are six points adrift of the former.

Match officials

Referee – Serhiy Berezka (Kyiv Oblast).
Assistant referees - Yevhen Petrakov, Serhiy Prystupa (both from Kyiv)
Fourth official - Serhiy Skrypak (Kyiv Oblast)
Referee observer - Serhiy Zadyran (Dnipropetrovsk)

Personnel

Shakhtar U21 forward Andriy Boryachuk has topped the league scorers list. He boasts five goals, and his goal-scoring streak has covered four consecutive games. One goal less has other striker of the Donetsk side - Sergiy Gryn, who made his recent Ukrainian Cup Round of 32 debut for the Pitmen’s first team and put his name on the scoresheet. In the same cup tie, the defender Mykola Matviyenko also made his first-team debut, having appeared in all five meetings in the reserves league.

From 24 to 26 August in Kyiv, they held one more introductory training camp for Ukraine U21 team. Five Shakhtar players were called up to attend the first of them, while three U21 team players were called up to attend the second one: goalkeeper Yevhen Hrytsenko, defender Ihor Kiryukhantsev and midfielder Artem Habelok.

Statistics

Last season, the reserves team of Zaporizhya-based Metalurh finished in the 9th spot, while in the head-to-head duels the Pitmen and Zaporizhya players exchanged home wins. In the first round match in Poltava, the Donetsk side left the rivals with no chance after a 3-0 win. In late November, the teams already met at the training centre of Metalaurh, with the charges of Miguel Cardoso suffering a 1-2 defeat in this game, notwithstanding the fact that Shakhtar had a numerical advantage throughout the second half, with the hosts notching the decisive goal in the fourth minute of injury time.