Resounding Victory in Conference League: Polissya Dominates Hungarian Paks in Prešov
On the first day of August, one of the most exciting and significant football matches took place on the fields of Slovakia, marking a major milestone for the Ukrainian club Polissya.
Hailing from Vyshhorod, a team that last season competed in Ukraine’s Premier League, Polissya emerged as the star of a tense and thrilling encounter against the Hungarian squad Paks.
This game served as the opening battle of the third qualifying round of the Conference League, in which the Ukrainian side achieved a convincing 3-0 victory.
Goals for Polissya were scored by the seasoned Oleksandr Andriievskyi, the youthful and ambitious Danylo Bezkorovainyi, and team captain Bohdan Lednev.
The match started with Andriievskyi opening the scoring on the 41st minute, then early in the second half, Bezkorovainyi doubled the lead with a well-placed free kick in stoppage time of the first half.
The final tally came from Lednev, who netted the third goal in the 58th minute.
The team’s reliable goalkeeper Volynets, defenders Kravchenko (substituted for Khadroi in the 87th minute), Sarapiy, and midfielders Babenko, Mykhailichenko contributed to the winning effort.
For Paks, key players included goalkeeper Kovachik and defenders Sabo and Kinyik, but their efforts were insufficient to overcome the Ukrainian team.
The game was also marked by a moment of silence to honor war victims, and both teams played fiercely—Mykhailichenko was shown a red card in stoppage time for rough play.
Since the first match was heavily in favor of Polissya, the second leg will take place on August 14 in Hungary.
The victor from this two-match tie will face Italian giants Fiorentina, while the loser will be eliminated from European competitions.
This victory gives Ukrainian football an important boost and offers hope for further progression in European tournaments, with fans eagerly awaiting the next chapter of their team’s journey.