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The current season of the elite football championship of Ukraine started at the end of July last year and will end in May 2024. In 30 rounds, 16 participating teams will play two matches against each other, one at home and one away. The championship title will go to the club that collects the most points. If there is a tie in points, the team with better additional indicators will be higher.
The three main contenders for victory in the Ukrainian Premier League are the following clubs: Shakhtar, Krivbass and Dnepr-1. Having studied the results of these teams last year and the form and lineups in which the opponents will emerge after the winter break, we can more accurately guess the winner of the UPL gold.
Shakhtar
The Orange-and-Blacks did not look the best on the domestic scene in 2023 and were in third place in the standings. Having played two fewer matches, Shakhtar was three points behind second Dnepr-1 and first Krivbass. Having won nine matches and drawn four times, Marino Pusic’s boys lost twice to Dnipro and Vorskla in Lviv at home. It is also worth noting that before the winter break the Pitmen had one of the strongest defenses in the championship, conceding on average just under one goal per match.
Taras Stepanenko and the company held eight friendly sparring sessions in the off-season. Having drawn with Avispa Fukuoka, Maribor and Lechia from Gdansk, the “moles” lost to Hradec Kralove, as well as Velez to Mostar. At the same time, Pyunik, Lech Poznan and Arkadag were defeated by the “orange-blacks”. During the winter break, the Pitmen strengthened themselves a little and, most likely, the team will be able to improve. So the brainchild of Rinat Akhmetov is quite capable of winning the 15th championship title in the UPL.
Krivbass
“White-red-black” are the main discovery of the current UPL draw. Krivbass finished 2023 at the top of the standings, ahead of the second Dnepr-1 in terms of additional indicators. Yuri Vernidub's boys won 10 victories, tied four times and lost three times. The club from Krivoy Rog lost to Alexandria on the road and Rukh with Dynamo Kyiv at home. It should also be noted that the brainchild of Konstantin Karamanitsa had the strongest attack in the league and the weakest defense in the top four.
In six pre-season friendly matches, the White-Red-Blacks won against Piast Gliwice, Ferencvaros, Brentford 2 and Viborg. The Krivoy Rog club lost to Victoria Plzen, and settled for a world battle with Levadia. Krivbass is famous for team play and has never lost devastatingly. However, it will not be easy to force the fight for gold onto stronger rivals Dmitry Khomchenovsky and his partners. If you want to earn money on UPL, then we recommend going to mostbet.com az giris and placing bets on this resource.
Dnepr-1
The Blue-Yellows had a weak December part of the season and went into the winter break in second place in the standings. While inferior to the first Krivbass in terms of additional indicators, Dnepr-1 was two points ahead of the third Polesie. Having suffered three defeats from Obolon, Krivoy Rog opponents and Vorskla, the Dnipro residents fought four world wars and celebrated victory in 10 confrontations. The attack of Yuri Maksimov's team was quite good, but not the strongest in the league, but the team performed well defensively, conceding less than one goal per game on average.
Having lost the team's main scorer Artem Dovbik, who moved to Girona, the Dnipro team continued to look competitive and fight for the championship title. In the off-season, Dnepr-1 won against Dechich and Arkadag, and also made peace with Cherno More. At the same time, Alexander Svatok and the company lost to Sturm from Graz, as well as Rakow.
Our forecast
Krivbass and Dnepr-1 are surprising this season, but these clubs are unlikely to create a sensation and win the UPL. The depth of the Kryvyi Rih and Dnipro teams is not the same as that of their competitors. So, most likely, the “white-red-black” and “blue-yellow” will compete for silver medals. Shakhtar have two games in hand. This, as well as the impressive experience of the players and the depth of the roster, should allow the Orange-and-Blacks to play more confidently in 2024. With a high probability, it will be the Pitmen who will again win the “gold” of the Ukrainian Premier League.