- Poltava form: SK Poltava’s last 5 games: W0, D3, L2
- Shakhtar form: Shakhtar Donetsk’s last 5 games: W4, D0, L1
- Poltava home record: SK Poltava have won 1, drawn 3 and lost 9 of their 13 home games in the Premier League 2025/2026
Poltava are struggling to adapt to the Premier League
Form and management
SK Poltava are the new boys in the Ukrainian Premier League 2025/2026, and their 16th-place ranking and 12 points from 26 games indicate that they’re struggling to adjust to the level of soccer in the top flight.
Poltava’s recent results - D2, L1 from their last 3 home games - show they haven’t been able to find any consistency yet, but boss Pavlo Matviychenko has only been in charge since July 2025 and is trying to steady a defense that has been leaking goals all season. Maksim Marusich leads the team’s scoring charge with a measly 3 goals from 16 games in the Premier League 2025/2026.
Tactics
Poltava line up in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2, depending on the game, and are a team that sets up to congest the middle of the field. They don’t like the ball and don’t play a high-tempo game, preferring to sit deep and counter with speed on the break when they win the ball back.
Shakhtar Donetsk is the opposite of everything Poltava are - they are attacking, they’re possession based, they’re high pressing and they’re looking to play through the sides to stretch and break down any low block.
Shakhtar should sail to victory
Arda Turan has instilled his attacking philosophy into the team since he took over in July 2025, and his side have topped the Ukrainian Premier League 2025/2026 ever since. Shakhtar are in fine form, with 4 wins and a draw in their last 5, including back-to-back away wins against FK Kudrivka and FC Dynamo Kiev in the Premier League 2025/2026.
However, Poltava should be given a chance to make an impact on the scoresheet given Shakhtar have conceded an average of 0.69 goals away from home in the league, so the Both teams to score - Yes selection is a solid wager at 3.72 here.
- Prosper Obah is the driving force for Shakhtar in the attacking third, with 8 goals from 22 league appearances, and should find plenty of joy against the lowly Poltava defense.
- Shakhtar have won 8 and drawn 5 of their 13 away games in the league, and their only recent defeat was against Crystal Palace in the UEFA Conference League 2025/2026, so Shakhtar should be able to handle Poltava with relative ease.
- Shakhtar are the heavy favorites in this matchup, and that is well deserved given their position in the table, their recent form and the quality of their players.
