FC Shakhtar topped the table for the first time in this season after a 1-0 home win against FC Karpaty. Pitmen were one up on the break after Willian’s 45-minute header. The hosts failed to come from behind as Donetsk side provided much pressure. Mirca Lucescu’s team are now one point clear at the summit with 16 points. Their nearest challengers FC Dnipro keep within one point of the leaders. FC Dynamo and FC Vorskla are level on 13 points on the third and fourth spots respectively. Meanwhile, FC Volyn drew 1-1 at FC Arsenal.

Dynamo Kyiv suffered their first league defeat of the season as they went down 3-1 to FC Vorskla Poltava on Saturday evening. Coach Valeriy Gazzaev opted to give some of the regulars a rest ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League Play-off round match against FC Ajax. One of those players was Dynamo captain Andriy Shevchenko.

Despite the hot weather, the match was played at a high tempo with both sides fighting hard on the pitch. Although there were several chances on both sides of the field, the first half remained scoreless. Things have totally changed after the break. The teams exchanged goals early in the second half with Vorskla forward Vasyl Sachko opening the score and Dynamo full-back Leandro Almeida finding an equaliser with a header soon afterwards. But the crucial goals of the match came closer to the final whistle, when a late strike from defender Oleh Krasnopyorov on 84 minutes and a penalty from second-half substitute Roman Bezus in extra time sealed vital three points for Vorskla.

The drama unfolded also in the second half of the match between title and UEFA Europa League play-offs contenders FC Dnipro and FC Metalist. The home side could take the lead after Andriy Rusol’s strike only to hit the bar. Then another chance was wasted by Yevgen Selezniov. Yet, Metalist’s Brazilian international halfback Fininho was less wasteful. He made a slalom run and netted. Dnipro put in much effort to restore the balance but the game ended in the hosts' favour who are unbeaten in their eighth away match in succession, while Dnipropetrovsk outfit lost their first points in the current campaign.

A hat-trick from Oleksandr Kovpak inspired SC Tavriya to a 4-1 defeat of FC Kryvbas. Simferopol’s captain scored already on 9 minutes before the teams swapped goals. He sealed a victory with a double in the mid second half.

FC Metalurh Z and FC Obolon, both pointless since the start of this term, met in Zaporizhia with Kyiv side recording a 2-1 win. Earlier on Friday FC Zoria drew 2-2 with FC Illichivets.