Ukraine round-up: Giants on the rampage

FC Dynamo Kyiv and FC Shakhtar Donetsk made stirring starts to the new season with comprehensive victories in their opening games. Dynamo recorded a 5-1 win against ten-man FC Volyn Lutsk, while Shakhtar cruised to a 3-0 defeat of FC Metalurh Zaporizhya.

Easy victory
With Volyn's Cameroonian striker Ernest Emako Siankam being dismissed in the first ten minutes of the match, Dynamo had an easy time. Valentin Belkevich scored twice and Alexander Khatskevich, Andriy Nesmachniy and Maxim Shatskikh added a goal each with new signing Oleg Husev assisting twice. Goran Gavrancic scored an own goal to put Volyn on the scoresheet.

Great start
Shakhtar debutant Zvonimir Vukic made a bright start, scoring against Zaporizhya. Brandao also found the target but Andriy Vorobei was the hero of the day with his goal in the dying minutes of the match marking his 100th strike in the Ukrainian top flight.

First hat-trick
FC Karpaty Lviv kept the pace with the two giants as they routed FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih. Serhiy Mizin scored the first hat-trick of the new Ukrainian season, while his team-mate Yuri Benio scored a goal and a own goal to make the final score 4-1.

No joy
FC Borysfen Boryspil had no joy in their first game in the top flight as goals from Oleh Venhlinskiy and Olexandr Rykun saw them lose 2-0 against FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. Dnipro will be playing in the UEFA Cup alongside FC Metalurh Donetsk who could only draw 2-2 against FC Vorskla Poltava.

Shock result
The shock result of the day saw FC Arsenal Kyiv, rated by some as potential title challengers, going down 1-0 against newly promoted FC Zirka Kirovohrad. FC Obolon Kyiv beat FC Chornomorets Odesa by the same margin, while FC Illichivets Mariupol and FC Tavriya Simferepol shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw.