In a thrilling encounter marked by late drama, Karpaty secured a stunning 2-1 comeback victory over Oleksandriya after trailing for most of the match.
Oleksandriya initially took control when Kampush found the net in the 11th minute, giving the visitors an early advantage that they maintained for nearly 70 minutes of play.
The match took a decisive turn in the 80th minute when Krasnopir, who had entered as a substitute just 14 minutes earlier, converted a penalty to equalize for Karpaty.
What followed was an increasingly tense affair, with Oleksandriya collecting a remarkable nine yellow cards throughout the contest. The visitors' discipline completely unraveled in the first minute of stoppage time when Ivan Kalyuzhnyi received his second yellow card, reducing Oleksandriya to ten men at the most critical juncture.
According to Statbet analysis, teams scoring in the fifth minute of stoppage time or later win approximately 92% of their matches, highlighting the psychological impact of such late goals.
Karpaty capitalized on their numerical advantage when Chachua delivered the knockout blow five minutes into stoppage time, sending the home crowd into raptures and completing a remarkable turnaround.
The victory was especially sweet for Karpaty's substitutes, with Krasnopir and fellow second-half introduction Kvastnytsya playing crucial roles in changing the momentum of the match after coming on in the 66th minute.
Despite Oleksandriya making multiple substitutions to preserve their advantage, including bringing on Kovalets, Smyrnyi, Dzhevani, and Byelyayev, they ultimately couldn't withstand Karpaty's late surge.
