After their second defeat of the season against "Epizentru," which has already secured a promotion to the higher league (1:3), Patrick van Leeuwen's charges have significantly complicated their task of securing a direct spot in the UPL.

In turn, Podolyany have long demonstrated that they are unmatched in the championship group, but this did not reflect on their motivation. It seemed that the players of "Epizentru" were eager to achieve an 11th consecutive victory in the first league and catch up with Veres, who had such a stunning streak in the 2020/2021 season.

And for guests who previously dominated Kharkivians tactically, this was possible. Even when the score stood at 1:1, it felt that "Epizentru" would add to their lead and tip the scales in their favor. Although for fairness' sake, it should be noted that the second and third goals of Serhiy Nagornya's charges were scored after unfortunate mistakes by "Metalist 1925."

From thereon, Slobozhans' tournament prospects depended on the results of today's other matches in the championship group. And they did not improve Kharkivians' mood, as main rivals "Poltava" and "Kudryvka" won their respective games against "Bukovyna" and "Agrobiznes" with identical scores (2:0). And if in the final round "city-dwellers" play away against "Metalist," they will secure a place in the Premier League for the first time. While it seems that "Metalist 1925" cannot avoid relegation playoffs against one of UPL's bottom teams.

Results and standings