KHARKIV, Ukraine (Interstat) — Metalist Kharkiv began its Ukrainian Premier League campaign with a 2-0 victory over SK Poltava on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at Tsentralnyi Stadion in Zhytomyr.

Forward Peter Itodo opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time, finding the net in the 45th plus second minute. Midfielder Cauan Baptistella doubled the lead eight minutes after the break, sealing the result in the 53rd minute. Substitute Daniil Sukhoruchko, who entered the match later, was credited with an assist on Baptistella’s goal.

Sukhoruchko also received the match’s only yellow card in the 11th minute. The result gave Metalist a winning start to the domestic season, while Poltava began with a loss. The final score matched the projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which heavily favored Metalist pre-match.