In the 2026/27 Ukrainian Cup Round of 16 match, Veres Rivne defeated Kyiv's Livyi Bereh 1:0, becoming the first participant of the current tournament to reach the quarterfinals. The decisive strike against the opponents was delivered by Brazilian forward Wesley Pomba, whose goal in the 41st minute proved to be the only one of the match. This victory allowed Veres not only to continue their fight for the national trophy but also to partially avenge their losses in head-to-head championship matches.
The Episode That Decided the Outcome
The fate of the encounter was decided by an episode near the end of the first half. In the 41st minute, Pomba skillfully beat a defender in an individual play, broke into the penalty area, and sent the ball precisely past the goalkeeper into the net. After this goal, the score remained unchanged: neither team managed to add efficiency in the second half, and Veres's minimal advantage held until the final whistle.
The Brazilian's Second Goal in Cup Matches
For Wesley Pomba, this goal was his second in a Veres shirt. The Brazilian scored his previous goal also within the Ukrainian Cup, but back in last season — when his victim was Korosten/Agro-Nyva. Thus, both of the forward's goals in cup fixtures have come in matches for the national trophy, emphasizing his importance to Rivne precisely in these encounters.
Delay Due to Air Raid Alerts
The fixture was scheduled to kick off at 13:00, but the teams were forced to wait due to air raid alerts in the Boryspil district, where Livyi Bereh's stadium is located. The first siren sounded at 12:51, and the all-clear was announced at 13:22. Just as the players were preparing for the start of the game at 13:31, the alert repeated; the second all-clear came at 13:59, and the match ultimately started only at 14:15.
The Teams' Path to the Round of 16
In the preliminary stage, Livyi Bereh overcame Ahrobiznes: regular time ended in a 1:1 draw, and the Kyiv side proved more precise in the penalty shootout, winning 4:2. Veres defeated Kulykiv-Bielka 1:0 in their previous match. The cup victory over Livyi Bereh also served as a kind of revenge for Veres for their defeats in league matches.
What's Next
Later within the same Ukrainian Cup Round of 16, Shakhtar and Dynamo will meet in another intriguing clash of the current tournament. For Veres, the quarterfinal will serve as a continuation of their journey in the national cup, where the team has already made a statement by becoming the first quarterfinalist of the 2026/27 season.
