In the central match of the third round of the Ukrainian Premier League 2026/27 season, Donetsk's Shakhtar secured a narrow away victory against Kharkiv. The match, held in Kharkiv, ended with a 1:0 scoreline in favor of the visitors. The only goal was scored in the very first minute of the match, although the 'miners' played extremely nervously, withstanding the intense pressure from the home side.
Fatal mistake and Nevertton's record
The fate of the match was decided almost in the first few seconds. Kharkiv defender Pavliuk made a fatal error in possession, allowing Shakhtar to launch an instant counter-attack. Brazilian forward Nevertton, receiving the ball in the penalty area, powerfully beat goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk. This goal was Nevertton's first of the current season and the fastest in the UPL 2026/27 championship. However, despite being the season's record, the Brazilian's result did not enter the top 5 fastest goals in the history of Ukrainian football. The absolute record belongs to Roman Yaremchuk, who scored in the 7.4th second of a match in 2016.
Dramatic episode with a disallowed goal
After conceding the goal, Arda Turan's team took control of the initiative and threatened the visitors' goal throughout the game. The most dramatic moment occurred in the 56th minute: after a powerful shot by Krupsky, the ball ricocheted off a defender and ended up in Shakhtar's net. However, referee Alexander Shandor disallowed the goal after reviewing the video replay, detecting an offside position for Kharkiv player Itodo, who was involved in the follow-up. This decision became the key factor determining the final score of the match.
Shakhtar's fighting spirit and the battle for leadership
In the closing stages, Kharkiv launched a real assault on the visitors' goal. In the 88th minute, Zaberghdja had a perfect chance to equalize but missed from a favorable position. Mladen Bartulovich's team showed character and held onto their narrow advantage, securing three crucial points. Thanks to this victory, Shakhtar caught up with Karpaty, and both teams now lead the UPL standings. Both sides have achieved 100% of possible points — 9 points after three rounds.
Contradictory data
Certain controversies arose around Kharkiv's disallowed goal in the 56th minute. The official version from referee Alexander Shandor states that the goal was disallowed due to Itodo being offside during the follow-up. However, some experts and Kharkiv fans claim that the ball entered the goal after a ricochet off a Shakhtar defender, which should have nullified Itodo's offside position. Various sources interpret the ball's trajectory and the moment of contact differently, leaving room for debate regarding the fairness of the referee's decision.
