Renowned journalist Mykola Nesenyuk shared his expectations for the final round match of the Euro 2024 qualifying cycle between Ukraine and Italy, which took place today in Leverkusen.
Mykola Neseniuk"Can Ukraine win against Italy? We asked ourselves and each other exactly the same question seventeen years ago in the summer of 2006, when our team reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Germany and had to play the Italians.
Back then, when Yushchenko was president, the dollar was worth five hryvnias and we didn't know the word "c*ck", the inimitable Shevchenko played for Ukraine, and we pinned our hopes on him. Our hopes were not dampened by the fact that before that Ukraine had only managed to win against the then-weak Saudi Arabia and Tunisia, drew with Switzerland, and lost 0-4 to Spain. We didn't think at the time that reaching the quarter-finals was just a lucky coincidence for us, backed up by the phenomenal Shovkovskyi, who did not miss any of the Swiss eleven-metre penalties. We sincerely hoped for success! If not for a victory, then at least for a draw, so that Shovkovsky could help us out again in the penalty shootout.
The miracle didn't happen - Italy won 3-0 without being too tired. That didn't stop us from praising Blokhin's team to the skies afterwards. Meanwhile, the Italians beat us twice more the following year in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. In fact, of the six official matches between Ukraine and Italy between 1995 and 2023, the Italians won all six! In addition, Italy is the reigning European champion!
All this should not be forgotten when assessing our chances of success in today's game. Do we have a chance! Of course we do! In football, before every match, the chances are fifty-fifty. Don't just talk outright nonsense, portraying some of the players of the current Ukrainian national team as almost stars of world football. We had only one such star, but even with him we lost to those Italians without options.
Coach Rebrov's current team has so far only two hard-fought victories over Northern Macedonia and two hard-fought victories in matches against Malta. Judging the strength of the team by these successes is at least frivolous. The same goes for the draw with unmotivated England. The Italians will be not just motivated today, but super-motivated!
If we are objective and dispassionate, Ukraine undoubtedly deserves a place among the top 24 teams in Europe. On the other hand, to get out of the group with both finalists of the last European Championship looked fantastic for us in advance - no matter who played for our team and who prepared it. So we have to be grateful to Rebrov and his team for qualifying with dignity and keeping the intrigue alive until the last match. In which we need not only to give our best, but also to have great luck. Why not? Let's believe in it and cheer for Ukraine!" Neseniuk wrote on his Facebook page.
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