A frustrating day for Ukrainian teams in European competitions began with disappointments: all three teams conceded early goals. Not all matches progressed in such a one-sided manner, but there were few positive moments. The champion attempted to summarize the impressions.
August 21
- Maccabi (Tel Aviv) – Dynamo 3:1
- Shakhtar – Servette 1:1
- Polissya - Fiorentina 0:3
Dynamo: A Show in the Rain with a Tragicomedy
The match in Tel Aviv was held under heavy rain and delayed due to lightning. The pitch quickly accelerated the ball, with attacks coming one after another. At the start, the Kyiv team looked helpless, and only thanks to Neshcheret did the score not become devastating. Voloshin equalized, but after Vycharenko's red card, everything fell apart – Maccabi calmly pushed through. A return match awaits, where they need to overturn a two-goal deficit. The problem is that Dynamo currently does not resemble a combat-ready team.
Shakhtar: Complete Dominance Without Victory
The miners once again dropped points due to poor finishing. Despite having seven times more chances against Servette (23 shots – 1 goal), they could not win. The team is suffering from injuries to key players and the absence of a true striker. The only goal came from a corner, while the wingers created little threat. It will be tougher in Geneva, and elimination by such an opponent would be a serious blow.
Polissya: A Meeting with Reality
Debuting in Europe turned into a lesson. Fiorentina immediately showed the difference in class: Kyn opened the scoring, and the Italians even in the minority finished off the hosts 0:3. Had it not been for the red card for the guests, the score could have been historically humiliating. Polissya has come a long way from the lower leagues to the UPL and Europe, but meeting a top opponent revealed the gap between Ukrainian mid-table teams and serious football.
