Горняк hosted Карпаты in the first match of the Premier League regular season on 1 August 2026, and the visitors ran out comfortable 4-1 winners. The result puts the away side top of the table with 13 points from six games, while the hosts remain in 10th place on five points after five matches. Two penalties and two quick second-half goals proved decisive.
Jan Jurčec opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 20th minute, and Ambrosiy Chachua doubled the advantage just before the break with another spot-kick in the 45+2 minute. Nazariy Rusyn received a yellow card in the eighth minute, while Eriki Daniel Rodrigues Bento and Shakeone Satchwell added bookings in the 30th and 37th minutes respectively. By then, the home side was already playing from behind.
Vladyslav Baboglo made it 3-0 in the 57th minute, and Yan Kostenko added a fourth in the 65th minute after Oleksandr Kamenskyi came on for Горняк in the 63rd. The hosts pulled one back through Roman Vantukh in the 72nd minute, but the damage was done. Mohamed Aiman Moukhliss, Yaroslav Shevchenko, Xeber Alkain Mitxelena and Ambrosiy Chachua all saw substitutions during the second half.
The away team's victory extends their unbeaten run and strengthens their grip on first place. They have now won four of six matches with just one defeat, while Горняк have managed only one win from five games. The result gives the visitors a three-point cushion at the top of the table.
And here's the thing — the two penalties changed the complexion of the match early on. Горняк played the second half a man down tactically, and Карпаты ran the show. The visitors saw it out comfortably after putting the game to bed with those two quick goals.