Donetsk’s Shakhtar opened the new Ukrainian Premier League season with a victory—achieved under newly appointed head coach Arda Turan. The Turkish specialist marked his first official match on the Miners’ bench with a minimal yet crucial away win over top-flight newcomer Epitsentr Dunaivtsi.
The Miners’ New Boss
The team from Donetsk, whose head coach became Turkish football legend Arda Turan during the off-season, faced a tough start: the very first league match had to be played on the road. Nevertheless, Turan’s charges rose to the challenge and brought home the maximum result, defeating their opponent 1–0.
Away Trip to Roman Shukhevych Stadium
The match was held in the city of Ternopil at the Roman Shukhevych Ternopil City Stadium, where Epitsentr welcomed the titled guest. Despite their underdog status, the hosts fought valiantly, limiting Shakhtar’s chances and keeping the intrigue alive until the very end of the game.
Golden Moment in the 79th Minute
The decisive episode came in the 79th minute: Shakhtar’s Brazilian forward Kaua Elias rose to meet a cross into the box and sent a precise header into the net. That strike proved to be the only—and decisive—goal of the match, sealing a 1–0 win for the visitors.
Confident Start to the Title Chase
The victory earned the Donetsk side their first three points and instilled confidence in the new coaching staff. Shakhtar began the championship with a win, while Arda Turan demonstrated in the very first step of his Ukrainian adventure that he can deliver results here and now, igniting serious hopes for the season ahead.
