This Sunday’s opponents first played in the first Ukrainian league competition, with Dynamo winning twice, 1-0 and 3-0. The fixture in Kyiv saw, for the first time in domestic competitions, a penalty not converted and a goalkeeper deflect an 11-meter penalty kick as Naftovyk striker Zadorozhnyy failed to outdo Dynamo goalie Martinkenans. Then, in Okhtyrka, Dynamo Yuriy Hritsyna became the first to eye a hat trick in the national league.
In the event-colorful season, the White-Blues landed second, whereas Okhtyrka were relegated to make their top division comeback no sooner then this summer.
The newcomer proved to be a serious contender. For the bottom-placed team with zero points after six games, the real deadlock came when they clinched their first victories, defeating Dynamo and later on Arsenal 1-0 in Kyiv and further drawing 1-1 with Shakhtar in Donetsk. Despite a relatively strong spring start, including wins over Chornomorets and tie with Dnipro, the team reamins second from the bottom.
Naftovyk’s relegation position, on the one hand, and Dynamo’s bitter fall memories, on the other hand, are highly likely to contribute to a thrilling performance this weekend.
