KAA Gent and LNZ Cherkasy played out a goalless stalemate in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying tie on 31 July 2026 at the Ghelamco Arena. The result leaves the tie finely balanced as the Ukrainian side head home with a valuable clean sheet, while Gent will feel they did enough to earn a more comfortable advantage.

Match Overview

Under the floodlights in Ghent, the Belgian hosts dominated possession and created the clearer openings, but were repeatedly frustrated by a disciplined LNZ Cherkasy defence. The Ukrainian visitors, making their first appearance in European competition this season, set up to contain and counter, a strategy they executed with discipline and organisation.

Gent’s attacking trio of Hugo Cuypers, Gift Orban and Hyunseok Hong combined well in the final third, but too often final passes or shots were blocked or dragged wide. LNZ goalkeeper Yevgeny Kucherenko was called into action only a handful of times, his most notable save coming from a curling effort by Sven Kums just before the hour mark.

Key Moments

• 11th minute – Orban breaks free on the left but his low cross is cleared by Dmytro Ryzhuk just as Cuypers prepares to tap in.
• 34th minute – Kums shoots from 20 yards, forcing Kucherenko to tip the ball over the bar.
• 58th minute – A long-range effort from Hong is deflected wide off a defender’s head.
• 72nd minute – LNZ’s best chance: a swift counter ends with midfielder Vladyslav Shapoval shooting straight at Gent goalkeeper Davy Roef.
• 88th minute – Gent substitute Tarik Tissoudali sees a goal-bound shot blocked on the line by Oleh Shevchenko.

Tactical Story

Gent coach Wouter Vrancken set his team up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, pushing full-backs high to overload the flanks. LNZ, under manager Yuriy Kalitvintsev, sat deep in a compact 4-5-1, inviting pressure while looking to spring counters through pacey winger Mykhailo Mudryk’s younger brother, Dmytro Mudryk, who was making his European debut.

Gent’s inability to break through the low block was a recurring theme. They registered 14 shots but only three on target, a statistic that reflects the quality of LNZ’s defending rather than poor finishing. The visitors, meanwhile, managed just four shots, but their discipline in transitions suggested they are capable of causing problems in the second leg.

Standout Players

• Yevgeny Kucherenko (LNZ) – Made solid saves and commanded his area well to secure a clean sheet.
• Dmytro Ryzhuk (LNZ) – The centre-back made several crucial interceptions and blocks.
• Hyunseok Hong (Gent) – The South Korean midfielder was the most creative player on the pitch, threading passes and testing the keeper from distance.

Table & Season Impact

This first leg is part of the UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round. With the tie level at 0-0, the return match in Cherkasy on 7 August will be decisive. Gent will need to score away from home to advance, while LNZ know that a single goal would leave the Belgians needing two. The winner will face either Rosenborg or CSKA Sofia in the third qualifying round. For LNZ Cherkasy, a club still building its European pedigree, a place in the group stage would be a historic achievement.