SK Poltava
- Poltava are the newly promoted side and have found the step up very tough, sitting 16th in the 16-team Premier League 2025/2026 with 9 points from 15 games.
- Poltava are in the midst of a losing streak in which they have lost 3 of their last 5 in the Premier League.
- They did, however, record a shock 2-1 away win over reigning champions Dynamo Kiev in their third most recent game before they were soundly beaten 0-3 at home by relegation rivals Epitsentr Dunayivtsi last time out.
- Under Pavlo Matviychenko’s guidance, Poltava are more defensive and pragmatic in their approach, attempting to keep things tight at the back, limit the opposition’s possession and use the counter-attack to create goal-scoring opportunities. This approach is a key consideration in our SK Poltava vs FC Rukh Lviv betting tips.
Rukh Lviv
- Rukh Lviv have been far more solid but remain in the bottom half of the table in 12th with 16 points after as many games.
- Rukh have won their last 3 Premier League fixtures, including a gutsy 1-0 home win over Polissya Zhytomyr and a 1-0 success at struggling FC Oleksandriya in their most recent away game.
- Fedyk’s men are known for their high-energy pressing, vertical transitions and a young spine that can go at it.
- Their preferred 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 system allows them to be patient and build attacks or to flood forward and make it dangerous in transition.
- Rukh Lviv’s away form has been solid since Fedyk’s appointment, winning 1 and losing 1 of their 2 games. These recent results are relevant for this SK Poltava vs FC Rukh Lviv betting tips article.
Key Players
- Game will be won in the midfield and transitions.
- With Baboucarr Faal in form, having scored 5 goals in 15 league games and 3 in Rukh’s last 5, the visitors have their talisman to make the difference, whilst Vladimir Odaryuk has been the most prolific goal scorer for Poltava this season with 3 in 15 games.
Betting Insights
- The visitors are the clear favorites at 1.77, while Poltava are the underdogs at 4.76.
- Rukh Lviv to win and Under 2.5 goals at 1.85 looks a solid bet here given both teams' modest records in front of goal, as reflected in the SK Poltava vs FC Rukh Lviv prediction.
Prediction
- FC Rukh Lviv’s momentum is much better than that of Poltava and we think their energy and pressing will suit them to take the points.
- However, Poltava are a hard-nosed team and will dig in to make it difficult for their opponents to break them down.
