Shakhtar Donetsk delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over arch-rivals Dynamo Kyiv in the last 16 of the Ukrainian Cup, avenging last season's cup disappointment and ending their opponents' hopes of lifting the trophy. A first-half red card for Dynamo defender Taras Mykhavko proved a turning point, disrupting the tactical approach of the Kyiv side's Polish coaching staff led by Maciej Kędziorek.

For the opening half-hour in Lviv, there was little to separate the two sides. Shakhtar enjoyed more possession, but Dynamo Kyiv, operating in a disciplined 5-4-1 formation, successfully restricted their opponents' attacking options. One of the few notable moments came when Ocheretko nearly dispossessed goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan on the goal line. Otherwise, the contest remained evenly balanced, with Dynamo pressing aggressively and occasionally threatening on the counter-attack.

The game changed dramatically when Taras Mykhavko raised his arm towards Ocheretko during an otherwise routine situation inside the opposition penalty area. Referee Viktor Kopievskyi had not seen the incident directly, but subsequently showed the defender a straight red card, gesturing towards his earpiece to indicate the role of the officiating team in the decision.

Playing against 10 men, Shakhtar Donetsk quickly seized control and pushed Dynamo deep into their own half. The numerical advantage paid off just before the interval. In the 43rd minute, Yehor Nazaryna delivered a corner from the left, and Bushchan failed to clear the ball cleanly with his fist. In an attempt to relieve the pressure, Tomasz Kędziora inadvertently redirected it into the path of Mendoza, who made no mistake in capitalising on the opportunity to put Shakhtar ahead.

Maciej Kędziorek responded at half-time by replacing Matvii Ponomarenko with Eduardo Guerrero. After the match, the Dynamo coach explained that he wanted a different type of striker on the pitch. However, the substitution did little to alter the balance of play, with Shakhtar continuing to dominate possession and territory.

The hosts also became increasingly dangerous down the right flank, where Brazilian winger Alisson produced an outstanding performance and made a strong case for the Man of the Match award. In the 74th minute, he left Vladyslav Dubinchak behind before delivering a perfectly weighted cross into the six-yard box. With no defender tracking his movement, Izaki powered a header past Bushchan to make it 2-0.

That goal effectively settled the contest, leaving only the final scoreline to be decided. Shakhtar made sure the victory carried the feel of a genuine derby statement. In the 87th minute, Izaki managed to push the ball through a crowd of defenders, allowing Alisson to add a goal to his earlier assist and complete the 3-0 rout.

2026-27, Ukraine - Cup

Shakhtar - Dynamo 3:0 (1:0)
Goals: Mendoza G., 43 (1:0); Isaque, 74 (2:0); Alisson Santana, 87 (3:0)

Shakhtar: Riznyk D.; Vinicius Т.; Pedrinho A. (Azarov I., 76); Matviyenko; Bondar V. (Ghram, 88); Ocheretko (Newerton, 76); Nazaryna; Alisson Santana; Mendoza G.; Marlon Gomes (Isaque, 63); Kauã Elias (Traoré Las., 63)
Substitution: Isaque (from 63); Traoré Las. (from 63); Azarov I. (from 76); Newerton (from 76); Ghram (from 88)
Bench: Fesiun; Karavayev; Kryskiv; Tsukanov; Prosper; Lucas Ferreira; Luca Meirelles
Yellow Cards: Pedrinho A. 15; Bondar V. 17; Ocheretko 32; Marlon Gomes 37; Newerton 80

Dynamo: Bushchan; Mykhavko (till 30); Dubinchak; Kędziora; Sych O. (Tymchyk, 65); Brazhko; Voloshyn N. (Thiare, 35); Mykhailenko M. (Kabayev, 77); Shaparenko (Pikhalonok, 77); Ponomarenko M. (Guerrero E., 46); Shola O.
Substitution: Thiare (from 35 till 90); Guerrero E. (from 46 till 90); Tymchyk (from 65); Pikhalonok (from 77); Kabayev (from 77)
Bench: Neshcheret; Bilovar; Yarmolenko; Rubchynskyi; Lonwijk; Bah; Mounguengue
Red cards: Mykhavko 30', Thiare 90', Guerrero E. 90'