Carpathy's Rout of LNZ and Sensation in Kryvyi Rih: Results and Symbolic Team of UPL Round 2

The second round of the 2026 Ukrainian Premier League season concluded with a series of bright events. Despite the absence of global sensations in most matches, it delivered unexpected outcomes for fans. The main event of the round was the match in Lviv, where "Carpathy" crushed the country's reigning vice-champion, LNZ, on their home turf with a score of 3:0. This defeat dealt a serious blow to the leaders' ambitions, while the Lviv team demonstrated a powerful performance.

The Shadow Side of the Round: Match Cancellation in Odesa

The round began under tragic circumstances. While in the first round "Dynamo" used its right to postpone the game against "Leviy Bereh" to December, the situation became critical in the second round. The match "Chornomorets" — "Kolos" in Odesa did not take place due to an attack by the Russian aggressor on the stadium. The facility sustained damage that made it unsuitable for sporting events. This served as another reminder that the war continues to influence the Ukrainian football calendar, depriving fans and players of the opportunity to see the game in its usual format.

Results and Unexpected Victories

Aside from the rout of LNZ, the round delivered other intriguing results. In Kryvyi Rih, "Zorya" lost at home to "Kryvbass" with a score of 1:3, which was a pleasant surprise for the hosts. In Rivne, "Veres" failed to hold a draw against "Dynamo", losing 1:2. "Polesye" dealt a painful defeat to "Kharkiv" at home (3:1), demonstrating aggressive football. At the same time, several matches ended in a draw: "Leviy Bereh" with "Kudrivka", as well as "Bukovyna" and "Obolon" played to a goalless draw (0:0).

Symbolic Team of the Round: Unanimous Choice of Experts

The editorial board of Sport RBC.UA analyzed all the matches of the round and compiled a symbolic team, to the survey of which well-known football experts joined: Daniil Vereitin, Andriy Kostenko, Nikita Maliugin, Kyryl Krutorogov, and Yevhen Nazarenko. Four out of five respondents agreed on the goalkeeper — Denys Marchenko ("Carpathy") played an outstanding match against LNZ, saving a penalty from Tedi Tsara in the final minutes.

All experts included the captain of "Carpathy", Vladyslav Babohlo, in their team. Despite his position as a central defender, he scored in his second consecutive match, confirming his form and leadership qualities. Opinions also fully coincided regarding the center-forward position — there was no alternative to Matvey Ponomarenko ("Dynamo"), who brought his team an important and difficult victory over "Veres" in the final minutes of the match.

Scoring Race: Who is Leading?

Kaivan Elias ("Shakhtar"), although he did not score in the match against "Epicenter", continues to head the list of top scorers. Now breathing down the Brazilian's neck is not only Joaquin Sifuentes from "Epicenter", but also Vladyslav Babohlo from "Carpathy" and Ihor Krasnopir from "Polesye", who have 2 goals each. This promises a fierce battle for the title of the league's top scorer in the upcoming rounds.

Contradictory Data

During the analysis of expert opinions, some disagreements arose regarding the selection of players for the symbolic team. For example, goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk ("Shakhtar") was included in the team by only one of the five experts — Yevhen Nazarenko, while Denys Marchenko received support from four specialists. Differences were also observed in the choice of defenders and midfielders: some experts preferred players from "Polesye" (Borys Krushynskyi, Serhiy Chobotenko), while others favored "Kryvbass" (Vladimir Vilyvald, Giovanni Herbert). These differences reflect the subjectivity of the assessment and dependence on the personal preferences of experts, making the team of the round more diverse and interesting to analyze.

Prospects for the Third Round

The third round of the UPL will span four calendar days. On Friday in Kamianets-Podilskyi, "Epicenter" will host "Veres". Three matches are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, and the round will conclude on Monday. Fans will have to witness new intrigues and, perhaps, new sensations that could change the balance of power in the championship.