On Monday 19 June, the Ukraine national team played their next game in the Euro 2024 qualifying tournament in Trnava, against Malta. The game was nominally a home game for the Ukrainian national team, but was held in Slovakia due to the war.
Photo - Oksana VasilyevaEuro 2024. Qualifying tournament. Group C
UKRAINE v MALTA - 1:0 (0:0)
Goals: Tsygankov (72 penalty)
52 minutes into the match Yarmolenko missed the penalty kick (crossbar).
Warnings: Vanat (42), Malinovskyi (56) - J. Borg (51), S. Borg (49), S. Borg (50). Borg (51), S. Borg (70)
Ukraine: 12.Trubin - 17.Konoplya, 13.Zabarniy, 4.Kryvtsov, 22.Matvienko (16.Mikolenko, 46) - 6.Stepanenko, 21.Sudakov - 15.Tsygankov (3.Svatok, 90+5), 8.Malinovskiy (14.Buyalskiy, 63), 7.Yarmolenko (K) (5.Sydorchuk, 81) - 9.Vanat (11.Dovbik, 63).
On the reserves: 1.Buschan, 23.Lunin, 2.Sobol, 10.Mudryk, 18.Tymchik, 19.Ignatenko, 20.Zubkov.
Malta: 1.Bonello (12.M.Greek, 45+3), 22.Z.Muscat, 4.S.Borg (K), 23.J.Borg, 7.Mbong (18.Degabriele, 87), 20.Yankam, 6.Guillaume, 10.Theuma (8.J.Greek, 87), 3.Kamendzuli, 9.Nwoko (14.Satariano, 46), 11.Jones (21.Dimek, 62).
Backs: 16.Debono, 2.Attard, 5.Shaw, 13.Apap, 15.Corbolan, 17.N.Muscat, 19.Pisani.
Match transcript and stats >>>
Post-match press-conference >>>
Group C qualifying table and table of games >>>.
In the first half the Ukraine national team confirmed their status of unconditional favourites of the match only during the first quarter of an hour. In this section of the match all the events took place in Malta's half, and the Ukrainians twice came close to open the scoring. First, the attacking attack of the Ukrainian team ended Vanata's strike from 10 meters, and with great difficulty Bonello turned the game into a corner. And after ten minutes Tsygankov broke on the left flank, shot to the near post, where the same Vanat from about the corner of the goalkeeper in the stretching closes this pass, but the goal is not hit.
It seemed that everything was going well for Ukraine, but the Maltese began to cling to the ball more and more often and soon the first attacks on the gate "blue-yellow". And not just attacks, but also chances! On 23 minutes, Teuma struck shot from 25 meters - next to the post. After a minute, Jones shot from 10 meters - even closer to the target, the ball almost hit the post.
In short, towards the middle of the half the game design had changed dramatically. And the Ukraine national team seemed to be confused. It stopped anything in the attack. Only in the last few minutes before the whistle to the break the Ukrainians managed to disturb the defense of Malta. First Tsygankov shot from distance - just above the goal. Then he also made an excellent left cross to Vanatat, but he was beaten in the goalkeeper's area for a moment by the Maltese goalkeeper. Finally, just before the whistle for the break the Greek in a throw to parry long-range strike Malinovskyy, Vanat played on the finish, and then the ball in the goal for the team of Malta was corrected by Cygankov, but the referee in the final stage of the attacking "blue-yellow" detected offside and the goal was not counted. As a result, the teams went into the break with zeros on the scoreboard.
The second half started with attacks by the Ukraine national team. And it quickly got to work: after Stepanenko's shot the ball hit Borg's hand inside the penalty area, and the referee awarded a penalty after using the VAR system. However, the Ukrainians failed to use this opportunity to open the scoring: Yarmolenko's spot-kick hit the Maltese crossbar.
Despite this setback, the Ukrainians kept attacking. However, just as in the first half, the Maltese, having withstood the initial onslaught of the opponents, managed to calm the game and push it away from their penalty area. And in the 61st minute after the break at the gates of Ukraine for the first time after the break, there was a goal-scoring moment - it was Jankam from under Zabarny shot from about 11 meters - Trubin caught the ball in a fling. However, the Ukrainians responded almost immediately: after a flank pass by Tsygankov Buyalko header from 8 meters - Greecek reacted, but did not keep the ball, and midfielder of the Ukrainian national team played on the finish, but in this situation, the keeper was faster.
In the end, the Ukrainian national team managed to outplay the opponents. In another attack of the "blue-yellow" in the penalty area of the Maltese national team after a discount Buyalskiy Yarmolenko was brought down, and the referee again awarded a penalty. This time it was Tsygankov who got on the spot-kick and confidently sent the ball into the net - 1-0. It was the 72nd minute of the match. Team Ukraine, of course, did not stop, but in the remaining time of the match, there were no special opportunities for success. Noteworthy, though, was Zabarny's shot following a corner-kick, after which the ball flew over near the post, and Tsygankov's shot from the penalty area, which the goalkeeper handled. So the match, as a result, ended with a minimal victory of the Ukrainian team - 1-0.
In the other match of Group C today England will play against Northern Macedonia. In the meantime, the current standings in the group looks as follows:
1. England - 9 points (3 matches)
3. Ukraine - 6 (3)
2. Italy - 3 (2)
4. Northern Macedonia - 3 (2)
5. Malta - 0 (4)
It should be added that in the next round in this group will play: Ukraine vs England, North Macedonia vs Italy. Both games will be played on September 9.
Alexander POPOV
