Who said that a week after the record-breaking attendance of the duel with Dnipro-1, the stands of the USC Metallist empty? This could happen anywhere, but not in Kharkov. The local audience, despite all the digital prefixes and unusual tasks for the club, regularly supports the team of Alexander Prizetko. Of course, in comparison with the last round, the attendance of the main arena of the city fell somewhat, but what team in our league (even taking into account the Premier League) will gather in the stands about 7 (!) Thousands of its loyal fans! And this despite some weather worsening and quite a non-star status of an opponent. Gornostaevsky club occupied up to the reporting round a high fifth line in the standings, and was not averse to profit points in the lair of the leader.

Already an hour before the starting whistle near the stadium's ticket offices there were queues, growing exponentially with every minute. From the side it might seem that Metalist 1925 has already returned to the elite and the rival of the yellow and blue will be, at least, the Dawn. By the way, there was also no shortage of club attributes. As an example, most representatives of the elite, the trade in attractive club scarves and other items of the fan cult was conducted quite actively both in cash desks and in nearby football stores. Neither to give nor take, the European approach to business.

Very popular on the eve of the match was the topic of personnel situation in the Kharkiv club. It was curious to observe how Metalist 1925 would be without his leader Edmar, who went to the USA. True, the 37-year-old midfielder flew away, but promised to return. In the spring of the third round of the current championship, the Brazilian, by agreement with the leadership of Kharkiv, will help his native club. The most interesting thing is that on the club bus slobozhan flaunts a huge photo ... Edmara. So completely without his captain Metallist 1925 did not remain: even in this form.

As for the actual fight itself, he, despite the final zero draw, turned out to be interesting and exciting. Initially, the rivals spent almost half the time on reconnaissance, and only then went to more active actions. In this case, the hosts, a priori considered the favorite of this confrontation, sorties to the gates of the World did not happen as often as they were demanded by the discerning audience in the stands. By the way, throughout most of the game, spectators chanted the name of not only their favorite club, but even the name and surname of the head coach. Trying on their flanks, Sergei Romanov and Oleg Sinitsa, but all their efforts, like waves on a breakwater, broke about the defenders and goalkeeper guests Artem Kulinich. The latter has repeatedly rescued his team, and if he did not have time, the success and inaccuracy of the slobozhans in the final stage.

Several changed the focus of the game after the break. The hosts added significantly, and Kulinich had to turn around at the gate, like a squirrel in the wheel. Especially annoying ermines was persistent Romanov, once-at once playing on the flank in bulk for several rivals. Sergei could bring his team victory 15 minutes before the final whistle, but bitingly punched from the area of ??the penalty area, a little did not hit the destination. Kulinich's elegant throw only emphasized the aesthetic beauty of the episode.

The nearer the time approached the final whistle, the more heated the emotional degree, as a result of which the number of small and not very joints increased significantly. In one of them Sergey Tsibulsky and Alexander Zhdanov. The first and remained to lie on the lawn, and the second referee asked from the field. By the way, the actions of Judge Oleg Buyasov in some episodes were not completely understood by both sides. On a number of minor violations the attendant of Themis simply did not react, and even in times with offsides he made sometimes ambiguous decisions.

However, for the sake of justice, the game thread the referee as a whole did not lose, adding a logical four minutes before the main time. The final whistle recorded a zero draw, which the guests rejoiced, as if they won, at least, the League of Europe. But the Prizetko team needs to seriously think about. Two straight home draws are unlikely to add to the football mood, and now your points need to be taken in the following matches. Looking forward to working on errors.

Roman Petrenko, Football. ua.