Preview: Ukraine vs Austria
As Ukraine and Austria prepare for their crucial Euro 2020 Group C showdown in Bucharest, both teams are eager to secure a vital victory, with Ukraine buoyed by their recent win and Austria seeking redemption after falling to the Netherlands.
Ukraine
Ukraine picked up their first three points of the tournament after defeating North Macedonia, 2-1 on Thursday the 17th. The Ukrainians already had their work cut out for them and wasted no time getting into action after the whistle blew.
Andriy Yarmolenko came close to putting Ukraine in the lead but saw his effort initially thwarted. Eventually, he sent the other Andriy into wild celebrations from the sidelines. Moments later, the 31-year-old captain set up Roman Yaremchuk for Ukraine’s second goal.
North Macedonia found an opportunity to cut the deficit down to one from the penalty spot. Ezgjan Alioski tucked in the rebound after the Ukrainian goalkeeper, George Buschan, made the initial save. However, a handball in the box, spotted with the help of VAR, left Ukraine with a chance to restore the two-goal lead from the penalty spot.
Despite the opportunity, North Macedonia’s Dimitrievski produced a fantastic save, keeping the score at 2-1. The victory leaves Ukraine with a form that reads: DDWWLW, now level on points with Austria in Group C. "We got more chances and should have scored a third, but we also have to praise our rivals," an impressed Andriy Shevchenko said after the game.
Shevchenko is likely to maintain the 4-3-3 formation which saw Malinovsky, Yaremchuk, and Yarmolenko leading the attack from left to right.
Austria
Meanwhile, Austria suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Netherlands on Thursday, June 17th. Coach Franco Foda missed the presence of Marko Arnautović, who had scored the final goal in Austria’s 3-1 win over North Macedonia. The 32-year-old faced a one-match suspension for insulting Ezgjan Alioski along ethnic lines.
Foda watched from the sidelines as his side struggled from the outset, failing to impose themselves until they conceded a penalty, with captain David Alaba as the culprit. Keeping his cool on a hot evening in Amsterdam, Memphis Depay scored in the 11th minute, putting his side in the lead despite Austrian goalkeeper Bachmann guessing correctly.
Austria continued to live dangerously until a break left the opposition racing unhindered towards goal after Austria lost the ball at the halfway line. They found themselves down by two goals as Donyell Malen unselfishly passed to Denzel Dumfries, who found the net in the 67th minute, despite the Austrian defense's hasty retreat.
The defeat saw Austria rewarded with no points, leaving them with three points after one win and one loss. Franco Foda knows that a defeat on Sunday could end his side’s Euro 2020 campaign. He may consider returning to a 3-5-2 formation on Match Day 3 to balance attack and defense against a Ukrainian side capable of surprises.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.