Title race resumes in Ukraine

The Ukrainian Premier League restarts this weekend as joint leaders and arch-rivals FC Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Dynamo Kyiv battle it out for the remaining 13 games of the season to decide which team will be crowned champions come this June.

'Scala factor'

Perfect draw
Dynamo, who entertain FC Zakarpattya Uzhgorod, and Shakhtar are level pegging going into Saturday's games. With both teams undefeated, as well as level in terms of victories achieved this season, Shakhtar top the league courtesy of their 2-2 draw in Kyiv earlier in the season. Shakhtar have not lost a game in the Premier League since 16 July 2000, but they still conceded the title to Dynamo last year after drawing with FC CSCA 0-0 in the decisive game of the championship. This season, though, it seems as if the title will be decided at the Shakhtyor stadium in the penultimate game of the season when Shakhtar host Dynamo on 1 June.

'I am not going to compete'
Dynamo themselves have undergone some slight changes in the winter break as Valeriy Lobanovskiy attempts to win his tenth title in a row. Three Russian players have been offloaded during the winter break, with Russian international goalkeeper Alexandr Filimonov's the most prominent departure of the three. Young prospects Yugoslav Igor Petkovic and Slovakian Tomas Brusko have come in as replacements. Ahead of the season's resumption, Dynamo coach Lobanovskiy reiterated that: "I am not going to compete with Scala. I do not know if he wants to do this as well."

European places at stake
However, what no one is doubting is that the championship race is solely a two-team affair, with the other contenders well off the pace. Third-placed FC Karpaty Lviv, who are nine points behind the leaders, can only hope to secure a European place for next season and are boosted by the arrival of ten new players. Their coach Myron Markevych has gained valuable experienced having undergone a training course with AS Roma head coach Fabio Capello during the winter. That will be put to the test away at FC Metalurh Mariupil. Other contenders for the European spots are FC Metalurh Donetsk and FC Metalist Kharkiv, who both lie within striking distance of Karpaty.

Cup challenge
A final chance for European qualification comes through the Ukrainian Cup that enters the semi-final stage in April. Apart from Shakhtar and Dynamo, both Donesk and FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk will be looking to secure a place in next season's UEFA Cup by winning the trophy. Finally, the former CSCA will play their first match under their new guise of FC Arsenal Kyiv away at FC Metalurh Zaporizhzhya.