On Tuesday, 17 October, the Ukrainian national team played its next match within the Euro 2024 qualifying tournament - away, against Italy.
Euro 2024. Qualifying tournament. Group C.
MALTA - UKRAINE - 1:3 (1:2)
Goals: P. Mbong (12) - Kamendzuli (38, own goal), Dovbik (43 penalties), Mudryk (85).
Warnings: Pisani (90+3) - Matvienko (31), Zubkov (90+3).
Ukraine: 12.Trubin - 21.Karavaev (20.Zubkov, 76), 13.Zabarny, 22.Matvienko (4.Svatok, 46), 16.Mikolenko - 5.Sidorchuk, 17.Zinchenko (K) (8.Pihalenok, 87) - 18.Vanat (2.Konoplya, 67), 7.Sudakov (6.Nazarina, 67), 10.Mudryk, - 11.Dovbik.
Reserves: 1.Buschan, 23.Riznyk, 3.Mykhailichenko, 9.Yaremchuk, 14.Buyalsky, 15.Rusin, 19.Popov.
Malta: 1.Bonello, 7.D.Mbong (2.Attard, 79), 4.S.Borg (K), 13.Pepe, 21.J.Borg, 3.Kamendzuli, 6.Guillaumier, 18.N.Muscat (19.Christensen, 68), 20.Yankam (8.Pisani, 88), 17.Nwoko (14.Satariano, 68), 10.P. Mbong (9.Montebello, 88).
Reserves: 12.Al-Toumi, 16.Galea, 5.Shaw, 11.Peibert, 15.Overend, 22.Z. Muscat, 23.Apap.
Match transcript and statistics >>>
Post-match press conference >>>>
Group C qualifying table, calendar of games >>>
The Ukraine national team did not force the match from the first minutes of the game and quickly paid for it. In the 12th minute of the game Paul Mbong, having received a pass in the centre of the pitch, easily escaped from Matvienko and then, shooting from the penalty area, managed to send the ball between Trubin's legs - 1:0.
And here the guests started to force the events. Maltese almost immediately found themselves pinned to their own goal. But they fought back desperately, and the Ukraine national team, in fact, had no scoring chances. And only in the 38th minute the score was equalised - Kamendzuli, trying to clear the ball in his own penalty area, sliced it into the goal - 1:1. Five minutes later, as a result of a foul on Mudryk, a penalty was awarded to Malti, which was clearly realised by Dovbik - 1:2. However, the hosts had every chance to go into the break with a draw on the scoreboard, but after a shot by Guillaumier the ball hit the crossbar of the Ukrainian national team.
The second half of the match was relatively evenly matched, but neither team created any clear goal-scoring chances. Both the home team and the visitors recorded only a few good shots from medium distances, which were confidently handled by the goalkeeper.
However, towards the end of the match the Ukrainians managed to build on their success. In the 85th minute of the meeting Mudryk took the game on himself, gained speed and a diverting shot from 20 metres sent the ball into the far corner of Malta's goal - 1:3, that's how the match ended.
We would like to add that in another match of the qualifying group "C" England defeated Italy on its field - 3:1. As a result, the current standings of the teams in the group are as follows:
1. England - 16 points (6 matches)
2. Ukraine - 13 (7)
3. Italy - 10 (6)
4. North Macedonia - 7 (6)
5. Malta - 0 (7)
Alexander POPOV
