Ukrainian Cup. Shakhtar vs Dynamo: how was it ...

06.04.2019 16:41

Photo by shakhtar.com

Within the framework of the Ukrainian Cup draws, the domestic giants, Shakhtar and Dynamo, played 14 matches. The quarterfinal game on April 7 in Kharkiv will be the 15th.

This is a perfectly normal statistic, given the maximum challenges facing each club. The Pitmen have nine victories, Kyiv has four, and another match has ended in a draw. This happened in the 2015 final, and Dynamo won a penalty shootout.

But it is interesting that in 1992-2002 these rivals did not meet each other in cup matches at all. Although Shakhtar reached the final three times during this decade (1995, 1997, 2001) and Dynamo five times (1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000).

The first five duels between the grands took place in the finals of the Cup of Ukraine. In this period (2002-2008) Dynamo won three victories (2003 - 2: 1, 2005 - 1: 0, 2007 - 2: 1), and Shakhtar - two (2002 - 3: 2 in overtime, 2008 - 2: 0). The last match was remembered by five (!) Withdrawals in the teams of both teams.

But in May 2009, the rivals met for the first time on the way to the cup. In Donetsk, the hosts won the semifinal match - 1: 0. The only ball in the 83rd minute was scored by Polish legionnaire Mariusz Lewandowski.

In October of the same year, 2009, Shakhtar and Dynamo drew in the quarterfinals - again in Donetsk. In the middle of the first half Dario Srna put the Pitmen ahead, in the 85th minute Dynamo's Ognjen Vukojevic was sent off, and already in the compensated time Fernandinho put an end - 2: 0.

The following season in May 2011 in Sumy, Shakhtar tied the score in the final matches with Dynamo - 3: 3. The Brazilians became heroes and antiheroes: Eduardo and Luis Adriano scored in the second half (the Pitmen won - 2: 0), while the same Eduardo and Betao from Kyiv earned a withdrawal.

In October 2011, Dynamo lost to Shakhtar in the 1/8 finals at home - 2: 3, and in September 2012, Kyiv suffered the most disgraceful defeat - 1: 4 in Donetsk in the 1/16 finals. After that, Yuri Semin was fired, and Oleg Blokhin became the coach of Dynamo.

Since then, the pair of grands again started playing only in the finals and in 2014-2018 missed only the 2016 final (in which Shakhtar's opponent was Zorya). Kyiv won the first cup victory over the Pitmen in 2007 in 2014 - 2: 1 (Serhiy Rebrov became the coach), then there was a series of penalties in 2015, which we have already mentioned. And behind her, Shakhtar won two finals (2017 - 1: 0, 2018 - 2: 0).

If in the final matches between the rivals there is a draw - they won five trophies for each other, then in the earlier stages the total advantage is on the side of Shakhtar. The Pitmen won all four matches - the semifinals (2009 - 1: 0), the quarterfinals (2009 - 2: 0), the 1/8 finals (2011 - 3: 2) and the 1/16 finals (2012 - 4: 1). On Sunday, Dynamo has two options - either to interrupt this series or to continue.