In Zaporizhzhia, after a long break, they decided to focus on local football talent. Therefore, 'Metalurh-2' announced their entry into the second-tier Ukrainian league for quality preparation. At the start of the tournament, Vyacheslav Tropin's wards found themselves in a match against the third-ranked division veteran — 'Rubikon'.

As expected, players from both teams frequently made mistakes in simple situations, but their efforts could not be denied. The rivals took turns leading, but the final word belonged to the home team's utility player Zlatyev, who scored a penalty to set the final score — 2:2.

Interest in the match in Vinnytsia, where 'Niva' hosted 'Khust', was fueled by the fact that Zakarpattians were recently led by Volodymyr Tychkin, who spent last season near Podillya's helm. Events on the football field unfolded with alternating success; guests, whose ranks included several players with experience in elite leagues, did not yield to the hosts in any way, and thus the draw result of 1:1 must be recognized as fair.

In contrast, in the Kyivshchyna derby «Niva» (Buzova) — «Chayka»(Petrovskiy Boryslav), equal competition did not materialize. The 'Chayka' lineup has recently undergone significant changes, and the advantage in experience for second-tier league debutant 'Niva' was obvious. This helped coach Serhiy Karpenko's wards confidently take the lead. And they should blame themselves for limiting their score to just three goals — 3:0. Notably, striker Somov scored a brace.

In the match between 'VAST' and 'Kremen-2', newcomers to competitions among champions from Mykolaiv secured an overwhelming victory (5:0) and took the lead.

It remains to report that the match 'Zvyahel' — 'Real-Farma' will take place later.

Match results and table of the second league