Polissya beat Kryvbas at home and cemented their lead at the top of the UPL: Krasnopir was the hero again

In the 7th round of the Ukrainian Premier League, Zhytomyr's Polissya hosted Kryvyi Rih's Kryvbas at the Central Stadium and secured a victory that allowed Ruslan Rotan's team to hold onto first place in the standings. The match was crucial in the title race ahead of the international break: the hosts needed just one precise strike to reach 18 points and pull clear of their nearest pursuers, while the visitors, despite a high tempo in the second half, were unable to equalize.

An early penalty settled it

The start of the match at the Central Stadium had to be delayed due to an air raid alert in Zhytomyr, but as soon as play resumed the hosts seized the initiative and quickly converted their advantage into a goal. The decisive moment came as early as the 6th minute: Polissya midfielder Oleksandr Fedor broke into the opponent's penalty area, where he was fouled by the visitors' midfielder Navi. After consulting the VAR system, the referee awarded a penalty, and Ihor Krasnopir — the player who had been called up to the Ukraine national team the day before for the Nations League matches — stepped up to the spot. He confidently placed the ball and the goalkeeper in opposite corners, opening the scoring.

Posts and crossbars saved both teams

After gaining the advantage, the Zhytomyr side continued to press the goals of Patrick van Leeuwen's team. Krasnopir had an excellent chance to complete a brace before the break, but his powerful strike on the turn was saved by the crossbar. In the second half the game continued at a high tempo with chances at both ends, and the goal frames saved the opponents from conceding several times — in particular, on the 86th minute the hosts' forward Mykola Haiduchyk hit the post. In the end the scoreline remained unchanged, and Polissya saw out a narrow victory.

Standings

Thanks to this win, Polissya reached 18 points and secured first place in the UPL table, three points ahead of Donetsk's Shakhtar. Kryvbas, with five points to their name, remained in 12th place, underscoring the difficult position of the Kryvyi Rih side this season. Thus, the Zhytomyr team entered the international break as the league leaders.

Context of the rivalry

The match was another test for Ruslan Rotan's coaching staff, whose team shows stability at home, and for Patrick van Leeuwen, whose Kryvbas still cannot find the necessary rhythm of wins. Polissya's confident play ahead of the international break allows the team to maintain their lead and a psychological edge over their rivals, above all over Shakhtar, who trail by three points.