Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The Matchday 30 showdown of the Ukrainian Premier League takes place this Saturday at the Chornomorets Arena in Odesa, where local side Chornomorets will host Oleksandriya. Here’s a wager on the outcome of this clash with solid odds for success.
Match preview
It’s been an undeniably weak season for the Odesa outfit. Although they noticeably improved in recent rounds, they couldn’t avoid early relegation. In the previous round, the Sailors held Dynamo Kyiv to a 1-1 draw at home. That result suited the visitors, who clinched the gold medals ahead of schedule, but it certainly didn’t help Chornomorets.
Before that, Chornomorets put in a strong away performance against Vorskla, grabbing all three points with a 2-1 victory. The issue, however, is that in the eight matches prior, the club suffered seven defeats and managed just one win, beating LNZ Cherkasy at home. As a result, Chornomorets have 22 points and, at best, can climb to second from bottom if they defeat Oleksandriya and Inhulets drop points.
On the other hand, Oleksandriya have delivered the best season in their history. Stories will be told about this team for generations. They secured second place ahead of time, leaving the formidable Shakhtar Donetsk in their wake. They finished the season in style, never letting anyone get close. The gap is currently six points, with Dynamo three points ahead of Oleksandriya.
In their last outing, Oleksandriya hosted Veres and claimed a confident 3-1 win. That marked their fourth victory in the last five rounds, with the only loss coming away to Karpaty Lviv. In 14 away matches this season, Oleksandriya have picked up eight wins against just three losses.
Probable lineups
- Chornomorets Odesa: Rudko A., Skyba Y., Beloshevskyi B., Rakitskyi Y., Butko B., Kohut I., Sihieiev K., Mustafayev E., Yermakov V., Khoblenko O., Popov K.
- Oleksandriya: Yermakov H., Skorko D., Ferreira M., Shabanov A., Martyniuk O., Vashchenko D., Kozak A., Kovalets K., Smirnyi E., Kara T., Filippov A.
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the first half of the season, Oleksandriya defeated Chornomorets 1-0
- The over 2.5 goals bet has landed in 4 out of the last 5 matches
- Both teams to score has occurred in three of the last five matches
Prediction
The bookmakers are siding with the silver medalists in this one, rating Oleksandriya’s win at odds of 1.61. We believe Oleksandriya will want to end their historic season on a high and will go all out for victory.
