Kudrovka produced one of the season's most unexpected results as they thrashed Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1 in the Premier League's opening round of fixtures. The match took place at Kudrovka's home ground on Sunday afternoon, and the outcome sent shockwaves through a league where the visitors had begun as clear favourites.
Kudrovka struck first when Alisson netted in the 32nd minute, and A. Dumanyuk doubled their advantage just before the break with a goal in the 42nd. Shakhtar responded with a goal from Kaua Elias in the 53rd minute, but the visitors could not find an equaliser and began to look increasingly uneasy.
Kaua Elias restored the two-goal lead for his side in the 72nd minute, and Luca Meirelles added a fifth in the 80th minute to seal the result. The visitors were reduced to a defensive crouch after the 64th minute when G. Mendoza received a yellow card, and by then Kudrovka had already gone through the phases of the game comfortably.
Kudrovka dominated possession at 71 per cent and registered eight shots on target compared to Shakhtar's single attempt on goal. The visitors managed more attacks overall at 54, but they lacked penetration in the final third and were left flat-footed when Kudrovka went for the jugular in the second half.
The result leaves Kudrovka still in 16th place with two points from five games, while Shakhtar remain second on 12 points after four victories and one defeat. The home side had only drawn twice and lost three times in their previous five matches, so this performance marked a significant shift in momentum.