Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Metalist 1925 Kharkiv 5th with 51 points, SK Poltava 16th with 13, 38 apart. Metalist 1925 Kharkiv's recent output lagged their position: 10th on form over five rounds while 5th in the table. Per game in the league, Metalist 1925 Kharkiv were scoring 1.2 and conceding 0.63, SK Poltava 0.77 and 2.47, against a competition average of 1.29 goals per team per game.
Defeat had followed defeat for SK Poltava — five in succession. The five-game form split read 10/15 points for Metalist 1925 Kharkiv against 0/15 for SK Poltava.
GioScore's database holds 4 meetings between the two: 3 for Metalist 1925 Kharkiv, 1 for SK Poltava and 0 drawn, at 3 goals per meeting. Only 25% of these meetings ended in a home win. These meetings skew tight — only 25% saw more than two goals.
The venue was Tsentralnyi Stadion, with room for 5,928 spectators. On the scoreboard, Metalist 1925 Kharkiv led 1-0 at the break; 1 second-half goal set the final 2-0.
Goal scorers
Metalist 1925 Kharkiv: Cauan Matteo Baptistella (53'), Peter Mandela Itodo (45')
Key stats
Possession: Metalist 1925 Kharkiv 69% · SK Poltava 31% · Total shots: 28-7 · On target: 10-2 · Corners: 8-5