Narrow Victory of a Football Giant: Shakhtar Edges Out Amateurs in Bucha in the Ukrainian Cup
On Wednesday, September 17, at the Jubilee Stadium in Bucha, an exciting match of the 1/16 finals of the Ukrainian Cup took place, attracting many fans of Ukrainian football.
In this showdown, Donetsk’s Shakhtar, one of the country’s strongest clubs, faced the amateur team Polissya from Stavky, Zhytomyr region.
Despite their extensive experience, the team managed to secure only a minimal 1-0 victory, thanks to the skill of their young newcomers.
The decisive goal was scored right before halftime: 19-year-old Lucas Ferreira took a corner kick, and his 18-year-old teammate, Luka Meirellis, headed the ball accurately into the near corner of the goal.
Polissya, an amateur club from Stavky competing in the Kyiv region championship, was unable to equalize in this game.
Notably, this was Shakhtar’s first match in the new Ukrainian Cup season.
The current tournament format has been updated, featuring a record-breaking 68 teams, with a draw based entirely on a blind lottery system and the abolition of extra time, adding unpredictability to the competition.
As a reminder, the reigning Ukrainian Cup holder is Shakhtar, which defeated Dynamo Kyiv in a dramatic penalty shootout (6:5) after a 1-1 draw in regular time.
However, the current season has brought some challenges for the team—they encountered a transfer setback involving 17-year-old Brazilian talent.
Prior reports indicated that Shakhtar and Metalist 1925 had agreed on a draw in the UPL central match.
Despite these obstacles, the victory in the cup game remains a significant achievement, fueling the club’s ambitions for further success throughout the season.