In the 5th round of the Ukrainian Premier League, Kryvbas and Kolos delivered a tense, goal-filled encounter that ended in a draw. The Kryvyi Rih side took the lead twice and even held a numerical advantage after an opponent's sending-off, but the visitors found an answer each time — and in stoppage time turned an ordinary long ball into their own half into a lifeline goal. The match was one of the most dramatic of the round and left both sides with a sense of a missed opportunity.

Match flow: two surges ahead and two responses

Kryvbas struck first: on the 28th minute, Shevchenko opened the scoring. Kolos's reply came on the 38th minute — Klymchuk's strike brought the visitors level, and notably this goal was only confirmed after a lengthy review by the VAR system. In the second half the initiative shifted back to the hosts: midway through the second period, Wilivald scored, putting Kryvbas ahead for the second time. It seemed the outcome was already decided, especially after the red card.

VAR and the sending-off: turning points

On the 80th minute, Kryvbas cemented its numerical advantage — Rukhaze was sent off for a second booking. Yet it was while a man down that Kolos made its decisive surge: on the 90+1 minute, a simple long ball into the opponent's half turned into Tahiri's equalizing goal, earning the visitors a draw. Thus the sending-off was not a death sentence for Kolos; on the contrary, it became a catalyst for their final push.

Conflicting data

Post-match reports contain discrepancies in the final score. A detailed match breakdown and data from Sport RBC.UA record the result as 2:2, with goals from Shevchenko (28) and Wilivald (66) for Kryvbas and Klymchuk (38) and Tahiri (90+1) for Kolos. At the same time, a number of outlets (in particular, the headline on korrespondent.net) cite a 1:1 result. The difference is likely due to some sources reflecting an interim or simplified score, whereas the full goal list confirms Kryvbas's double lead and Kolos's two equalizers. Until the official UPL statistics are clarified, the exact score should be considered 2:2, though the discrepancy in publications persists.

League standings

Despite dropping points, both teams managed to improve their positions in the table. Kolos climbed to 15th place and now trails Obolon by just one point, while holding a game in hand, which gives them a chance for further growth. Kryvbas, for its part, risks losing 9th place as early as Sunday if LNS or Veres win their respective matches. Thus the draw affected the rivals' prospects differently in the battle for a mid-table and upper-table spot.

Round context

In parallel this UPL round, Polissya recorded a crushing victory over Kudrivka and took the top of the Ukrainian championship. This underscores the high density and competitiveness of the current stage of the league, where even teams from the lower part of the table, like Kolos, are capable of picking up points in key matches and adjusting their standing.