In a highly anticipated showdown, Ukraine and England, the top two teams in Euro 2024 qualifying Group C, will face off at the Stadion Wrocław in Poland.
Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, the match will be played on neutral ground as the Three Lions aim to continue their perfect record of 15 points from 15.
This Saturday’s game marks a rematch of their previous encounter, where England defeated Ukraine 2-0 at Wembley.
Ukraine had a rocky start in the preliminary rounds but managed to salvage a thrilling 3-3 friendly draw against Germany, the hosts of Euro 2024.
Ukraine found their momentum when competitive action resumed in June with a remarkable comeback victory against North Macedonia, overturning a two-goal deficit to win 3-2.
They followed it up with a 1-0 triumph over Malta, thanks to a penalty by Viktor Tsygankov. With these wins, Ukraine solidified their position in the top two of Group C.
Ukraine currently holds a game in hand against their upcoming opponents, but they can’t afford to rest easy.
Italy, just three points behind Ukraine, also have a game in hand. After facing England, Ukraine will have to take on the reigning European champions.
Despite their sole defeat against England in their last 13 European Championship qualifying matches, Ukraine faces a tall order this time as they are not playing on familiar territory. Making it to a fourth consecutive finals might prove challenging.
On the other hand, England’s men’s team aims to continue their dominant performance in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
They have had an almost flawless start, sweeping aside opponents in their path. With three consecutive wins against Italy, Ukraine, and Malta, England extended their lead in Group C with a resounding 7-0 victory over North Macedonia at Old Trafford.
With 15 goals in their favor so far, England holds the highest goal tally among all UEFA nations in the qualifying groups.
They are on a seven-game winning streak in Euros qualifiers, having conceded only one goal since their defeat against the Czech Republic in 2019.
In previous encounters, England demonstrated their superiority over Ukraine, including a 4-0 victory in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals and a 1-0 win during a 2010 World Cup qualifier.
Team News:
Ukraine will be without midfielder Mykola Shaparenko and Ruslan Malinovskyi due to injury. Goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov has officially retired.
However, Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko returns after recovering from a calf problem. Vitaliy Mykolenko has been called up despite recent knocks, and captain Andriy Yarmolenko is closing in on becoming Ukraine’s all-time leading scorer.
England, on the other hand, will miss Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, John Stones, and Raheem Sterling due to injuries or being overlooked.
Callum Wilson, Levi Colwill, and Bukayo Saka trained earlier in the week and are expected to be available for selection.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Ukraine:
- Lunin
- Konoplya
- Zabarnyi
- Krystov
- Mykolenko
- Stepanenko
- Sydorchuk
- Zinchenko
- Yarmolenko
- Vanat
- Tsygankov
England:
- Pickford
- Walker
- Guehi
- Maguire
- Chilwell
- Bellingham
- Rice
- Henderson
- Saka
- Kane
- Rashford
Prediction:
Our prediction for the match is a 3-0 victory for England. With their attackers in red-hot form and the recent exploits of Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid, it’s hard to imagine any other outcome.