Manuel Chávez
Dailysports's expert
Two matches are scheduled for Monday in the UPL, one of which will see Polissya take on Karpaty. Here is my exclusive prediction for this event.
Polissya
Although Polissya is only in its second season in the elite, the club is ambitious and fighting for top positions. The team is currently fourth, with no chance to move higher as they trail the top three by a whopping 10 points.
After the winter break, the team has performed well, losing only one out of five matches in the UPL. In the last round, they managed to defeat LNZ Cherkasy away – 1:0. The club reached the semi-finals of the Ukrainian Cup, overcoming Veres away in overtime – 1:0, and now they will battle Shakhtar Donetsk for a spot in the final. It's crucial to maintain their position in the championship, as Kryvbas is only two points behind with a game in hand.
Karpaty
Karpaty have looked strong this season, positioning themselves closer to the group of leaders, which is already a positive sign. The team currently occupies the seventh spot in the championship, trailing their upcoming opponent by five points.
The Lviv side is in good form, being on a four-match unbeaten streak, during which they've secured 8 points. In the last round, they managed to thrash Chornomorets at home – 4:0, with Brazilian legionnaire Bruninho delivering a stellar performance, scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist. Securing a spot in European competitions will be challenging, so they need to show their best football now.
Possible lineups
- Polissya: Kudryk, Maisuradze, Joao, Vialle, Chobotenko, Sarapiy, Mykhaylichenko, Gonsalves, Babenko, Krushynsky, Nazarenko, Hutsulyak.
- Karpaty: Kinareykin, Polegenko, Baboglo, Jean Pedrozu, Stechkov, Alvarez, Chachua, Bruninho, Ocheretko, Neves, Kostenko.
Match facts
- Polissya has been solid at home this season, with only one defeat, alongside 5 wins and as many draws.
- Karpaty have not impressed on the road, with only two wins against six defeats, and two draws.
- The odds for the upcoming match are as follows: P1 – 2.23, X – 3.1, P2 – 3.75.
H2H
The first-round encounter was spectacular, with Polissya securing an away victory with a score of 3:1.
Prediction
The teams are separated by 5 points in the standings, although calling them direct competitors is a stretch. Polissya is a slight favorite, but Karpaty are in good form and capable of earning points. With the expectation of bad weather, I don't foresee a high-scoring game, so I'm betting on a total of under 2 goals.
