Development of events in the second half
The first half was the basis for “Olympia”, which allowed the team to quickly find the key to the goal of FC Polissia in the second half of the match. In the 56th minute, Raul Floruch opened the score with an accurate shot into the far corner of the Zhytomyr goal.
Moments and opportunities
In the 67th minute, “Olympia” could double its advantage: after a powerful shot, the goalkeeper of FC Polissia, Yevhen Volynets, deflected the ball, but it went straight to the feet of the opponent, who failed to realize the chance into an empty net.
Trying to change the course of the game
With the pressure from “Olympia”, the defense of FC Polissia experienced significant difficulties. Coach Imad Ashour made timely substitutions, hoping to improve the situation on the pitch. However, until the 80th minute, the changes did not give the desired result. Zhytomyr tried to find weak spots in the opponent’s defense, but their attempts looked out of sync and ineffective, especially when using the flanks.
Completion of the match and results
The match became decisive in the extra time, when Diogo Pinto successfully completed the counterattack of “Olympia” in the 90th + 2nd minute, taking advantage of the free space. Thus, the score became 2-0 in favor of the Slovak team.
The return match will take place on August 1.
Assessment and reasons for defeat
The 2-0 defeat was a result of mistakes late in the match, as FC Polissia’s players went on the attack in an attempt to equalize but failed to organize their defence. These mistakes were due to the fact that half of the squad of FC Polissia consists of new players who only joined the team in the summer off-season. In addition, the new coach Imad Ashur, who led the team at the end of May, has not had time to fully implement his ideas and build a coherent game. This became noticeable during the match
