Zorya vs Polissya: prediction, H2H and probable lineups — 18.05.2026
Zorya
Polissya Zhytomyr
One of the headline clashes of Matchday 29 in the Ukrainian Premier League will take place on Monday at the Valeriy Lobanovskyi Dynamo Stadium in Kyiv, where Luhansk's Zorya hosts Zhytomyr's Polissya. My betting tip for this encounter focuses on goals: the hosts are hitting their stride at the season's end, while the visitors are still fighting for medals and a coveted European spot.
Match preview
Zorya approach this fixture in fine form, calmly rounding out their season in the middle of the table. Since their 1-2 defeat to Shakhtar, Viktor Skrypnyk’s men have collected 10 points from four matches: beating Veres 2-0, Rukh 2-1, Oleksandriya 2-1, and drawing 1-1 with Metalist 1925.
The main strength of the Luhansk side is their attacking efficiency: with 40 goals, Zorya rank among the top five most prolific teams in the UPL. The coaching staff have been rotating the squad actively, giving minutes to young talents and managing the workload, but not without setbacks: Nemanja Andjusic is out for the season, Junior Reis is suspended, and Roman Salenko remains a doubt.
Polissya sit third and are enjoying a campaign that already marks a significant step forward for the club. Ruslan Rotan’s team are in the hunt for medals, keeping up a European pace and recently strung together an impressive run with wins over Obolon (3-1), Metalist 1925 (1-0) and Oleksandriya (2-1).
But the last round was a painful blow: the Zhytomyr side fell 2-3 to Epicentr in a dramatic match featuring a missed penalty in stoppage time. After the game, Rotan was scathing about defensive lapses and lack of concentration, while the looming summer departure of Oleksiy Hutsulyak adds further tension to this run-in.
Probable lineups
- Zorya: Saputin, Perduta, Esquinha, Yanich, Malysh, Kushnirenko, Popara, Michin, Slesar, Vantukh, Budkovskyi.
- Polissya: Volynets, Mykhailychenko, Sarapiy, Chobotenko, Maisuradze, Babenko, Emerlakhou, Andriyevskyi, Hutsulyak, Bragaru, Krasnopir.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Zorya have picked up 10 points in their last four UPL matches since losing to Shakhtar.
- Polissya have won three of their last five league games, but lost 2-3 to Epicentr last time out.
- Polissya are unbeaten against Zorya in their last five head-to-heads: three wins and two draws.
Prediction
Zorya are currently playing with freedom, without the pressure of league position, which actually makes them dangerous for a team that needs a result much more. The Luhansk side are in fine attacking shape, regularly creating chances and capable of punishing Polissya for the defensive mistakes that so frustrated Rotan after the Epicentr match. Polissya, however, remain the more motivated side: third place and European ambitions demand a response after a painful defeat. Zhytomyr’s attack has plenty of quality, but keeping a clean sheet against this in-form Zorya will be a tall order. My pick: both teams to score.
