Krivbass head coach Patrick Van Leuven reflected on his team’s 1-4 defeat to Karpaty in the opening round of the 2026/27 UPL season.
“We got off to a decent start and created chances in the first half. We even took the lead from a penalty. However, conceding just before halftime was disappointing. Our squad is young, and we’re in the process of building a new team. Every player has to constantly prove they deserve a starting spot. Unfortunately, we conceded more goals in the second half and ended up losing.”
When asked about the decisive factors in the match, whether psychological or physical, Van Leuven said, “Physically, the team is well-prepared to play the full 90 minutes. But the second goal came from a mistake by a young player who was supposed to mark the opponent’s number four. After that error, it was difficult for the team to recover.”
Regarding the performance of the new signings and whether they are ready to match the contributions of those who left, he added, “Firstly, the players who departed were older than the newcomers. The new players have come from a different level and are unfamiliar with the demands of the Ukrainian Championship. They need time to adapt to the intensity and standard, so it will take a little while before they can deliver similar results.”
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