Alina Savka is a 2008-born defender currently playing for Vorskla Poltava, where she has established herself as a starting CB despite her young age. Standing around 1.76m, she signed her first contract at just 15 and already features not only in senior domestic competition, but also UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifying matches. Her leadership qualities are highlighted by her captaincy of the Ukraine WU17 NT, and she has also gained experience in midfield – occasionally playing in a double pivot last season. Still developing technically and physically, Savka already demonstrates defensive maturity and resilience against more experienced opponents, making her an intriguing prospect.
Physically, Savka presents as a tall and imposing figure at the back. She uses her frame effectively in duels, both on the ground and in the air – helped by her frequent utilisation of arms. She benefits from long strides that allow her to eat up ground on recovery runs, and her endurance is notable – she can perform high intensity box-to-box sprints even in dying minutes of the match. While deceptively quick in straight-line runs, her agility and change-of-direction mechanics remain underdeveloped. She often crosses her legs when turning, or pushes off the wrong leg, which slows her ability to react to sudden change. Savka is also an avid false step enjoyer – with a huge chunk of her running from (almost) standstill starting with a false step. This can be attributed to her prevalent flat-footedness / not staying on her toes that often. Her deceleration in 1v1 situations is quite solid, helping her regain control when facing an opponent directly. Overall, her physicality already makes her competitive in senior football, but there is clear scope to refine her footwork.
Defensively, Savka shows both anticipation and composure. She is exceptionally attentive to runners, checking her blindside and using subtle arm contact to disrupt attackers – could be more physically imposing in this sense, especially inside her own box or with an attacker occupying her zone. She anticipates well, often intercepting passes at key moments. In aerial duels, she competes confidently, making use of her height and timing to establish an advantage. Her positioning alternates between disciplined and hesitant. At times, she drops too deep and does not hold the line. As a ball-near defender on crosses, she often positions herself around the near corner of the six-yard box rather than between the posts. Stepping up further highlights the negative effect of her flat-footedness discussed earlier – resulting in her closing opponents down too late, having to slow down with correct timing, but being caught too far away from the attacker, who is therefore allowed time and space to set up next action. Wide defending highlights both her patience and her limitations – she holds a side-on stance and waits for a mistake before engaging, but – again – she can be too slow to close down, allowing crosses to be delivered. Interesting little thing to notice – she always keeps her hands behind her back, anticipating a ball played into the box. Nevertheless, her awareness of attackers’ movements and willingness to engage physically provide a strong defensive base.
On the ball, Savka remains inconsistent. She can circulate possession safely and provide a reliable outlet for teammates, but her passing under pressure can look shaky, with heavy touches or misplaced passes when pressed. She has shown the ability to break lines with clipped or pinged passes and can execute an occasional accurate chip through the block. Despite that, she seldom lifts her head after her first touch and decides to play the safest option – around the block to CB or FB. Still, her support foot is not always coordinated, and she quite often delivers passes to the wrong foot, reducing the flow of play. Because of her less developed control of the ball, her clearances are often unpredictable. Her ball-carrying is functional but unrefined. She tends to keep her head down, adjusting her touches frequently rather than striding forward with control and intent. At times, she could carry the ball into space, but prefers safe, short passes. While she has produced switches of play, her reluctance to vary passing surfaces and occasional under-hit passes underline her need for further technical development.
Alina Savka is a young, physically imposing centre-back who already carries significant responsibility at both club and international youth level. Her profile is that of a defender who combines height, strength, and defensive awareness with leadership qualities uncommon for her age. She defends well in duels, shows anticipation in stepping out to intercept, and awareness to track attackers making forward runs or staying on her blindside. While she covers ground effectively and can recover position, her change-of-direction mechanics and ever-present false step limit her sharpness against quick attackers. On the ball, she offers safe circulation and flashes of progression play but lacks consistent technical security, especially under pressure.
Looking ahead, the most optimal step for Savka would be a transfer to a competitive but development-focused environment – a league where young players are trusted with responsibility yet still face experienced attackers. Scandinavia would be a strong pathway, while Central Europe also offers interesting steps. Such a move would expose her to higher tactical demands and improve her technical consistency, serving as a springboard before her subsequent big move.
Target Scouting 