As part of Matchday 11 of the Ukrainian Premier League, Dynamo Kyiv travelled to Kryvyi Rih to face local side Kryvbas.
The teams came into the match in different spirits. During the week, Dynamo lost to Shakhtar in the Ukrainian Cup Round of 16 (0–3), while Kryvbas advanced to the quarter-finals of the cup competition after defeating Luhansk side Zorya in a penalty shootout.
The hosts started the match much more actively. In the opening minutes, Oleksandr Petrakov’s men created several chances, with Senegalese forward Sek at the heart of each of them. First, he met a cross from the right with a header that went straight into Bushchan’s hands. Then, having again responded to a cross from the flank, he headed wide of the goal. On 12 minutes, his teammates sent him through one-on-one with Bushchan, but the Kryvbas striker was unable to beat our goalkeeper from close range.
Dynamo gradually dampened the hosts’ attacking momentum, pushing the game further away from their own goal and beginning to create chances themselves. On 18 minutes, Shaparenko won the ball in midfield, and it was played out to Ponomarenko on the right. Matvii sent a low cross into the six-yard box, where Shaparenko had made a run, but Mykola was unable to beat the goalkeeper with a shot from just a few metres out.
However, in the very next attack, the White-and-Blues finally opened the scoring. This time, Shaparenko played an excellent pass to send Yarmolenko racing down the right flank. Andriy delivered a perfectly weighted cross, and Ponomarenko, diving forward, headed the ball into the corner. The assistant referee initially flagged for offside, but after a lengthy review of the incident, the referee overturned the on-field decision and awarded the goal – 0:1.
Riding the momentum, Dynamo continued to push forward. On 24 minutes, Pikhalionok and Dubinchak both had shots during the same attacking move, but on both occasions the defenders blocked potentially dangerous efforts. The hosts were also eager to get back into the game. One notable attempt came from Giovanni, who cut inside from the left and shot towards goal, but the ball went wide of the far post.
On 43 minutes, the lead was doubled. Following a ball played into the hosts’ penalty area, Vilivald held Ponomarenko by the shirt. Matvii went down, and the referee pointed to the spot. Yarmolenko stepped up and confidently beat the goalkeeper, sending the ball down the middle – 0:2. It was Andriy’s record-breaking 125th goal in the Ukrainian championship, and all Dynamo players, including those on the substitutes’ bench, stood up to congratulate him!
However, the first-half action was not over. In stoppage time, Giovanni committed a rough challenge on Tymchyk, stepping on his heel. Just a few minutes later, Yarmolenko decided to retaliate against the offender, kicking him in the legs and receiving a straight red card in turn.
Having gained a one-man advantage, the hosts started the second half more actively. At first, Kryvbas players tried their luck from distance, but their shots repeatedly went wide. On 58 minutes, Lin unleashed a dangerous long-range effort. The ball took a deflection and was dropping under the crossbar, but Bushchan dealt with the situation confidently, pushing it behind for a corner. Overall, the hosts struggled badly with their finishing: of more than a dozen shots taken after the break, only one was on target.
On 74 minutes, the match was interrupted due to an air raid alert. When the teams returned to the pitch, Kryvbas continued attacking in the hope of scoring at least a consolation goal. However, the White-and-Blues defended intelligently and successfully neutralised every potential threat.
In the end, the final whistle confirmed a hard-fought 2:0 victory for Dynamo. The White-and-Blues return to the top three and are now preparing in good spirits for another meeting with Shakhtar, which will take place this Sunday, November 8, in Lviv as part of the Ukrainian Premier League.
UPL, Matchday 11
Kryvbas – Dynamo – 0:2 (0:2).
02.11.2026. Kryvyi Rih, Hirnyk Stadium
Kryvbas: 12. Kemkin – 22. Machado, 6. Pidhurskyi, 4. Vilivald (c), 15. Jones – 16. Borges, 17. Navi (27. Hodia, 63), 8. Shevchenko (28. Santiago, 86), 18. Bar (7. Rivas, 74), 10. Giovanni (21. Kamenskyi, 74) – 14. Assan (11. Kachvele, 63).
Dynamo: 1. Bushchan – 18. Tymchyk (40. Bilovar, 90), 94. Kędziora, 66. Thiare, 44. Dubinchak – 6. Brazhko, 8. Pikhalonok (91. Mykhailenko, 65), 7. Yarmolenko (c), 10. Shaparenko (21. Lonwijk, 82), 16. Ogundana (9. Voloshyn, 64) – 11. Ponomarenko (99. Mounguengue, 82).
Goals: Ponomarenko (18), Yarmolenko (43, pen.).
Yellow cards: Pidhurskyi (33), Vilivald (42), Giovanni (45+2), Jones (45+5) – Brazhko (45+2), Shaparenko (45+5), Ponomarenko (80), Voloshyn (86).
Sent off: Yarmolenko (45+5).
