Shakhtar is the new champion of the Ukrainian Cup, defeating Dynamo in a dramatic penalty shootout.

The final match of the Ukrainian Cup featured a clash between the two most successful teams in the tournament's history: Shakhtar, a 14-time Cup champion, defended its title against Dynamo, which has won this trophy 13 times.

The Cup final was not only a battle for the trophy but also for a spot in the Europa League qualifiers. Dynamo, leading the UPL, was almost guaranteed a place in the Champions League qualifiers, while Shakhtar, currently in third place, risked entering the Conference League qualifiers with a loss.

How did the final unfold?

• The first dangerous moment came from Shakhtar: after a corner, Pedro Henrique took a shot from outside the box but missed. Five minutes later, Dynamo responded with a chance: Yarmolenko passed to Vanat, but his shot was blocked.
• Although Shakhtar dominated possession (59%) in the first half, Dynamo created more scoring opportunities. Dynamo's efforts paid off in the 44th minute: Vladislav Dubinchak crossed to Yarmolenko, who scored in the corner — 1:0.
• Shakhtar equalized in the 64th minute after the first substitutions: Brazilian winger Alisson crossed to Kauan Elias, who scored in the bottom right corner.
• Regular time ended with a tie (1:1), and the teams went into extra time, where no winner was determined, leading to a penalty shootout.
• The first mistake could have come from Shakhtar: Ruslan Neshcheret saved Elias’s shot, but he stepped out of the goal line before the shot, allowing Kauan to convert the penalty on the rebound. Meanwhile, Dynamo's Alexander Karavaev made a mistake on the sixth attempt.

Ukrainian Cup Final

Shakhtar (Donetsk) — Dynamo (Kyiv) 1:1 (6:5 on penalties)

Goals: Elias, 64 — Yarmolenko, 44

What does the result of the Ukrainian Cup final mean?

• Shakhtar secured a spot in the Europa League qualifiers regardless of their final position in the league.
• The Donetsk team claimed their 15th Ukrainian Cup, successfully defending their title. This was Shakhtar's 21st Cup final in the club's history.
• Shakhtar surpassed Dynamo in the number of domestic trophies in Ukraine — 39.