FC Kharkiv
- FC Kharkiv have had an inconsistent pre-season but finished fifth to Veres Rivne's 11th in 2025-26.
- Mladen Bartulović's men have had a mixed bag in pre-season, beating Qarabağ 6-2, tying Wolfsberger AC 3-3 and suffering defeats to Schalke, Salzburg and Young Boys.
Veres Rivne
Veres have been just as inconsistent, seeing off UCSA 3-0 before losing to Bukovyna and Kolos, drawing 1-1 with both.
Head-to-Head
Hosts Kharkiv are the clear favorites to win but there is a case for the away side, who beat the Orange and Blacks 2-1 in May 2024 and 4-3 in November 2023 .
Key Players
- Valentyn Horokh is a safety net for them in goal with Denys Ndukwe and Vitalii Boiko, who bagged five league goals apiece in 2025-26, their main goal threat.
- Volodymyr Salyuk is a threat at both ends of the pitch, having grabbed the winner against Veres at the end of May.
- Denys Antyukh is the chief creator, finishing 2025-26 with four goals and five assists and it is worth noting that his pass led to the winner in that victory over Veres.
Betting Insights
- FC Kharkiv are favourites to win this game at 1.47 with Veres Rivne 7.28 and the draw 4.0.
- The match odds aren't worth wagering on in this spot, but there is enough of a value opportunity in the under 2.5 goals bet at 1.69 for this to be a tight, cagey affair that could end in a 1-0 win for the home team.
Prediction
- FC Kharkiv and Veres Rivne will renew their familiar Premier League 2026-2027 rivalry at Stadion Metalist on Saturday and it could be a hard-fought game.
- The most likely result of this match is a home win but the draw is also possible.
