Ukrainian Premier League resumes next week with Dnipro-1 aiming to upset big two

The title could be heading to somewhere other than either of Ukraine’s traditional football powerhouses.

BACK IN ACTION: The Ukrainian Premier League will resume on Monday (Jane Barlow/PA

It is in keeping with Ukraine’s defiant spirit as it combats the Russian invasion that this season’s Ukrainian Premier League, which resumes on Monday after a winter hiatus, might be remembered for football reasons as much as for the fact the competition is being played against the backdrop of war.

For the first time in more than 30 years, the title looks like it could be heading to somewhere other than either of Ukraine’s traditional football powerhouses, Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv, with SC Dnipro-1 having carved out a slim but significant lead at the top heading into the second half of the season.