It is safe to say that both Zorya and Chornomorets approached the face-to-face match of the 24th round without serious tournament tasks. Both teams are unlikely to be relegated, and they are unlikely to make their way into the European Cup zone.
“Zorya” confidently started the spring part of the season, losing only two matches in seven matches (and both – “Dynamo”) and moving away from the relegation zone. “Chernomorets” is unstable in the spring (however, as well as in the fall), but nevertheless plays cheerfully and even validly, gaining, however, its points, which allow the team to stay in the middle of the table.
In “Zora”, the main problem is Guerrero’s injury, due to which the forward did not even get into the application – the Panamanian was quite unexpectedly replaced by Horbach. In general, the starting line-up of the Luhansk team turned out to be more or less as expected.
The “sailors” also had everything figured out – almost the same lineup as in the match with “Alexandria”. Except that Avaghimyan appeared, who served the suspension and came out nominally as a centre-back, and Alvarenga replaced Bragara, who missed today’s match due to a run of cards.
“Zorya” on the right of the hosts started the game with control, trying to find cracks in the “sailors” defense. And they found her after the riding sheds. At first, Horbach was dangerous after the corner, but vbvj scored with a header, and three minutes later, in a similar style, he still opened the scoring in the match. A cross from the wing, and Ihor was somehow left alone in the center of the penalty box (hello to the center backs of the Czech Republic), he nodded his head not strongly but definitely – 1:0.
Thus, Zorya took the lead in the 13th minute, but continued to show more intensity in the first half. Luhansk players played more openly, cheerfully, and the defense of the visitors allowed them to do so. Kyryukhantsev made a good low shot twice, but both times he missed. Gorbach brought out Yatsik with a heel, almost face-to-face, but Oleksandr delayed with a blow, and then poked at Varakuta.
In general, the people of Odessa were lucky that they went to the break with such a score.
The second half was slightly different from the first. “Zorya” continued to create and steal moments, playing on counterattacks. Horbach could at least score a hat-trick, but he constantly either didn’t have time or delayed his shot, waiting for the defenders, which was watched by the injured Guerrero from the stands. The apogee of the match – already in the compensated time, Juninho, who came on as a substitute, fell on himself, but shot wide.
In general, the Luhansk players encouraged, but also lost moments for exactly a couple of matches. That cannot help but worry the coaching staff, because that’s how you can finish the game.
“Black Sea”? After the break, the guests seemed to have possession of the ball, tried to create positional attacks, but absolutely could not come up with anything sharp against the confident defense of “Zorya”.
1:0, a minimal victory for “Zorya”, although the Lugansk team should have scored much more, and the game of “Chronomorets” is completely fresh in attack and uncertain in defense.
24th round of the UPL, season 2023/24
April 4, Kyiv region, Left Bank Stadium
Judge: Volodymyr Novokhatny (Cherkasy)
Zorya (Luhansk) – Chornomorets (Odesa) 1:0
Naked: Gorbach (13)
Warning: Juninho
“Star”: Saputyn, Batagov, Jordan, Butko, Vantukh, Bashych, Kiryukhantsev (Zhuninho, 73), Yatsyk (Bugai, 88), Churko (Dryshlyuk, 81), Antyukh (Mishnyov, 88), Horbach (Ndur, 73)
“Chornomorets”: Varakuta, Putria (Dove, 90+1), Guchek, Salyuk, Vasiliev, Badibanga, Alvarenga, Kuzyk (Ze Gomes, 80), Yermakov, Stogrin, Avaghimyan (Prysiazhniuk, 80)
