The Ukrainian Cup Round of 16 matchday delivered two tense encounters where winners were decided only in the final minutes of regular time or via a penalty shootout. "Epitsentr" snatched a victory over last year's tournament finalist "Chernihiv" in a rescheduled match, while "Kryvbas" under the management of Oleksandr Petrakov advanced to the next round thanks to a successful penalty shootout. Both teams joined the already confirmed quarterfinalists, leaving only one vacant slot, which will be decided following today's match between "Karpaty" and "Oleksandriya".
Rescheduling, Air Raid Alert, and Evpak's "Joker"
The match between "Chernihiv" and "Epitsentr" started earlier, but in the 22nd minute, it was halted due to a prolonged air raid alert and postponed. The resumption took place at the "Arsenal-Arena" stadium in the village of Shchaslyve, Kyiv Oblast. The teams exchanged goals before halftime: Chernihiv players responded to Mykola Myronyuk's accurate strike with a goal by Dzhylindo Bezgubchenko, and the score remained tied at the break. The fate of the quarterfinal berth was decided in the 86th minute when substitute forward Maksym Evpak took advantage of a defensive error, intercepted the ball, and converted a one-on-one situation. This goal was the striker's debut for the Kamianets-Podilskyi team and secured their advance to the next round.
Penalty Lottery: Kemkin vs. "Zorya"
In the second match, "Zorya" and "Kryvbas" failed to determine a winner in regular time. The Luhansk side took the lead as early as the 7th minute after Jordan's header, but Oleksandr Petrakov's men quickly leveled the score thanks to Vilivald's accurate shot. Despite "Zorya's" overwhelming territorial advantage and 16 corner kicks, they failed to score a winning goal, pushing the match into a penalty shootout. The hero of the lottery was "Kryvbas" goalkeeper Oleksandr Kemkin, who saved penalties from Jordan and Pylyp Budkivskyi. Meanwhile, Ihor Horbach attempted a "Panenka" kick during his try and hit the crossbar, allowing Kryvyi Rih's team to maintain their advantage in the shootout and progress further.
Quarterfinal Lineup and Calendar
Earlier, spots in the Ukrainian Cup quarterfinals were secured by "Veres", "Shakhtar", "Kharkiv", "Polissya", and "Metalist". They are now joined by "Epitsentr" and "Kryvbas". The final participant of the next stage will be determined by the clash between "Karpaty" and "Oleksandriya", scheduled for October 29 at 18:00. The baseline date for the Ukrainian Cup quarterfinal matches is March 2-4, 2027. Thus, the playoff bracket is almost complete, with only one slot remaining open until the end of today's matchday.
