Polissya vs Kudrivka: Match Preview for UPL Matchday 5
Polissya Zhytomyr
Kudrivka
After the European fixtures and the opening rounds of the domestic campaign, the Ukrainian Premier League continues to gather momentum. Matchday 5 brings us a clash in Zhytomyr, where Polissya will host Kudrivka. The two teams sit at completely opposite ends of the table, making the home side clear favourites heading into the game. However, the visitors should certainly not be written off in advance.
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Polissya have enjoyed a very strong start to their first four league matches. The Zhytomyr side opened the campaign with a 2-1 away win over Chornomorets before beating Kharkiv 3-1 at home. After those two victories came a surprise 2-1 defeat to Zorya. However, in the fourth round, Ruslan Rotan's team arguably produced their most impressive result of the season so far, comfortably beating reigning Ukrainian champions Shakhtar 2-0.
As a result, Polissya have collected nine points from four matches ahead of their meeting with Kudrivka. They sit second in the table, behind only Karpaty, who have ten points. Moreover, the victory over Shakhtar has clearly boosted the Zhytomyr side's confidence. Rotan is gradually building a well-organised team that knows not only how to attack but also how to remain patient without the ball.
Kudrivka, meanwhile, have had a much tougher time. After four rounds, Oleksandr Protchenko's side have collected just two points. Their opening match ended in a heavy 5-1 defeat to Shakhtar, followed by two goalless draws against Livyi Bereh and Obolon. In the fourth round, Kudrivka suffered another defeat, this time a painful 3-0 loss at home to Epitsentr.
It paints an interesting picture: Kudrivka have scored just one goal in four matches while conceding eight. For a team hoping to establish themselves comfortably in the Ukrainian Premier League, those are worrying numbers, especially ahead of a trip to Zhytomyr, where their opponents are currently full of confidence.
Polissya also have encouraging statistics in the head-to-head record. The teams met twice last season, with the Zhytomyr side winning on both occasions. In September 2025, Polissya secured a 2-0 home victory before repeating the same score away at Kudrivka in March 2026. Oleksii Hutsuliak scored a brace in their most recent meeting.
The home advantage is also worth highlighting. The Matchday 5 fixture will take place at Polissya's Central City Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00 on 4 September.
On paper, everything looks fairly straightforward: Polissya are confidently competing near the top of the table, have just beaten the reigning champions and will be playing at home. Kudrivka, meanwhile, are down near the bottom and continue to experience serious problems in attack. But these are exactly the kind of matches in which an underdog can sometimes sit deep, frustrate the favourites and force them to become nervous.
However, if Polissya score early, life could become very difficult for the visitors. Rotan's team know how to exploit space and have already shown that they are capable of punishing opponents for their mistakes.
My prediction: Over 2.5 goals.
