In the central match of the second round of the 2026/27 Ukrainian Premier League season, Zhytomyr's Polesye secured a resilient and convincing victory over Kharkiv on their home turf. The match, held at the renovated "Central" stadium, ended with a score of 3:1 in favor of the hosts. Ruslan Rotan's team demonstrated high attacking efficiency, particularly in the second half, and continues to lead the tournament table with six points.

Home dominance and a controversial goal in the first half

The first half of the match was played under the full control of the Zhytomyr team. As early as the 17th minute, Polesye missed a chance to open the scoring: Krasnopyr's shot after a pass from Fedor hit the crossbar of the visitors' goal. Kharkiv attempted to respond with a sharp shot by Kalyuzhny from a set piece, but the home defenders blocked the shot. The decisive moment of the first half came in the 28th minute. After a cross down the left flank, Krasnopyr won a duel in the penalty area, and Andrievskyi finished the ball into the net. Officially, the goal was credited to the midfielder, but a dispute arose among the spectators regarding authorship, as the decisive pass and the battle fell to the striker.

Polesye's crushing series in the second half

After the break, Rotan's charges completely took the initiative and decided the outcome of the confrontation within four minutes. In the 61st minute, following a corner kick and a cross by Andrade, Chobotenko doubled the score, playing his head well on the near post. The third goal into Kharkiv's net was scored by the recently substituted Bragaru. In the 65th minute, after Andrievskyi's interception and a pass by Mykhaylichenko, the winger delivered a magnificent shot under the crossbar, which goalkeeper Yermakov could not stop. The score became crushing — 3:0.

Visitors' late goal and tournament consequences

Kharkiv managed to partially redeem themselves only in the 82nd minute. Kalyuzhny pushed the ball into the penalty area to Itodo, who scored a precise low shot into the far corner past Buschan. This goal did not change the outcome of the match but allowed the visitors to save face. Thanks to this victory, Polesye remains the only club without losses at the start of the season, having six points to its credit after two rounds. Kharkiv, despite the defeat, continues to search for the optimal game in the new championship.