In the first leg of the second qualifying round of the Conference League, Zhytomyr's Polesie, led by Ruslan Rotan, staged a true dramatic spectacle against Danish Copenhagen. The match ended with a score of 3-3, but the numbers on the scoreboard only partially reflect the intensity and character shown by the Ukrainians.
Blitzkrieg at the start and a quick response
The match began with incredible intensity. Already in the 4th minute, the Danes took the lead: Robert sent the ball precisely into the bottom corner of the Zhytomyr team's goal from long range. However, Polesie did not lose its composure. The response came almost instantly. Newcomer Leandro Andrade made a precise cross into the box, Nazarenko headed the ball down for a shot, and Krasnopyr easily scored against the opponent — 1-1.
First half: Polesie ahead
The Zhytomyr team looked confident and continued to pressure the opponent. In the 36th minute, Oleksandr Andrievsky intercepted the ball in the opponent's half and passed to Oleh Fedor, who scored his first goal for Polesie. The teams went into the break with a score of 2-1 in favor of the Ukrainian side.
Second half: a fight until the last minute
In the second half, Copenhagen went for the comeback. Robert twice in a row at the beginning of the second half failed to beat the goalkeeper Buschan, but on the third attempt, he managed to finish the guests' counterattack — 2-2. However, Copenhagen did not stop there. In the 82nd minute, Cornelius, who came on as a substitute, met no resistance in the box and laid the ball off for Madsen, who precisely hit the corner of the goal, leaving Buschan without a chance — 2-3.
Final note and Polesie's character
Polesie demonstrated its character for the second time in the match. In the 88th minute, a great cross from the right flank by Velykan was elegantly finished with a one-touch shot by Filippov — 3-3. The opponents did not have time to change the numbers on the scoreboard, although they had several chances to score.
Usyk in the stands
The first vice-president of Polesie and the outstanding Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk was present at the match. He watched the game from the VIP box along with other representatives of the Zhytomyr club's management.
Return match and context
The return match will take place at the Danish Parken stadium in Copenhagen on July 29. Earlier in Slovakia, in Polish Lublin, the confrontation between Dynamo and PAOK ended: the Kyiv team suffered a defeat, although they could have saved themselves in the final minutes.
