Kryvbas vs Karpaty Lviv

Two sides with opposite defensive profiles Kryvbas and Karpaty Lviv come into this tie with very different recent records. In the just-concluded campaign Kryvbas finished seventh with fifty-three goals scored but forty-six conceded, the most lopsided record in the top half; Karpaty, ninth, scored forty and conceded thirty-one, the numbers of a more balanced side. The early-season context The opening rounds of a campaign tend to be cagier than average: squads are refreshed, match rhythm is missing and coaches favour solidity. Adding this element to Karpaty's tidy profile, a maximum of three total goals I read at around 74%. A preview of a game in which balance should prevail over high tempo.