Karpaty (Home)
- Karpaty have been tough to beat at home in their last two meetings with Shakhtar.
- Bruninho has been the main attacking threat this season for Karpaty, leading the team for goals and chances created, but Ihor Krasnopir and Yaroslav Karabin can deliver a set-piece threat.
- Both of these players have already shown they can score against Shakhtar, with Krasnopir netting in their 3-3 draw.
Shakhtar (Away)
- Shakhtar Donetsk are favourites to take the derby in Lviv when they face off against FC Karpaty on Sunday, but the hosts’ home crowd will be out in force to make it a tense affair with both teams sharing the city and plenty of off-field storylines.
- Arda Turan has installed a more proactive and possession-based 4-3-3 system as Shakhtar boss, although the tactics have always been to keep the ball on the ground and play a high-tempo, vertical game.
- Turan has made some subtle changes to the shape of Shakhtar’s pressing structure and improved his side’s ability to incorporate rotation into the squad, which has helped their attacking output.
- Kauã Elias has emerged as the most dangerous player in Shakhtar’s front line, scoring in recent friendlies and providing a physical presence that can hold the ball up and sniff out goal chances.
- Shakhtar have 35 points from 16 matches, which is enough to keep them near the top of the 2025-2026 UPL table and firmly in the title race.
Head-to-Head
Karpaty have won only four of around 29 head-to-head meetings in all competitions, so the away side are clear favorites to take all three points here.
Key Players
- Bruninho has been the main attacking threat this season for Karpaty, leading the team for goals and chances created, but Ihor Krasnopir and Yaroslav Karabin can deliver a set-piece threat.
- Kauã Elias has emerged as the most dangerous player in Shakhtar’s front line, scoring in recent friendlies and providing a physical presence that can hold the ball up and sniff out goal chances.
Betting Insights
- Shakhtar are top heavy favorites at 1.36 to win this game with Karpaty 8.05 outsiders and the draw is 4.79.
- So we’re avoiding the money line and taking the Over 2.5 goals wager at 1.59, which should be a good punt on an entertaining game with plenty of attacking chances for both sides.
Prediction
Given the odds for the game and the respective forms of both sides going into it, Shakhtar should win the game by a score of 2-0 or 2-1 , but the home crowd in Lviv and derby atmosphere could see them make it closer than that.
