On Tuesday, September 10, the national team of Ukraine held its second match in the Nations League season 2024/25. The opponent of the Blue-Yellows was the Czech Republic, and the game itself took place in Prague at the Eden Arena stadium.
Nations League 2024/25. Division "B". Group 1. 2nd round
CHECHIA - UKRAINE - 3:2 (2:1)
Goals: Schultz (21, 45+2), Soucek (80) - Vanat (37), Sudakov (84).
Warnings: Krejci (47), Vitik (48), Cerny (54), Soucek (63), Zeleny (68) - Sudakov (70), Yaremchuk (82).
Ukraine: 12.Trubin, 16.Mykolenko, 22.Matvienko (K), 13.Zabarny, 19.Tymchyk, 6.Stepanenko (8.Malinovsky, 79), 10.Shaparenko (14.Sudakov, 69), 7.Yarmolenko (K) (15.Tsygankov, 69), 20.Mudryk, 17.Zinchenko (21.Pikhalenok, 85), 11.Vanat (9.Yaremchuk, 79).
Reserves: 1.Buschan, 23.Lunin, 2.Konoplya, 3.Bondar, 4.Taloverov, 5.Kabaev, 18.Brazhko.
Czech Republic: 1.Kovarzh, 6.Vitik, 7.Krejci, 8.Zeleny, 22.Soucek (K), 12.Cherv (21.Kral, 89), 5.Tsoufal, 14.Provod (20.Lingr, 66), 17.Cerny (9.Hlozhek, 66), 15.Schultz (13.Kushey, 81), 19.Hory (10.Schick, 81).
Reserves: 16.Zadrazhil, 23.Markovic, 2.Zima, 4.Granac, 11.Cvančara, 18.Kalvach.
Match statistics >>>
Post-match press conference >>>.
The beginning of the match was quite hectic, and only in the 17th minute of the match there was the first goal moment - Provod closed the flank pass with an accurate shot from 12 meters, and Trubin had to work hard to save the Ukraine national team from conceding a goal. However, four minutes later the Czechs opened the scoring: Cerny "stole" Shaparenko in the right side of the penalty area of the Ukrainians, shot on goal, and Schultz intervened and from outside the goalkeeper's box sent the ball into the net - 1:0.
The Ukrainian team, having missed, though not immediately, but still moved the game to the half of the Czech Republic. For a long time there was no sharpness at the gates of the hosts, but in the 35th minute of the match after a corner kick Zabarny shot header into the crossbar. And two minutes later, the Ukrainians equalized - it was Shaparenko served from the left exactly to Vanata, who hit the target with a clear header from the goalkeeper's area - 1:1.
It seemed that the first half would end with such a score, but in the compensated time the Czechs regained the advantage: a feed into the penalty area of the national team of Ukraine led to confusion, in which the most diligent was the same Scholz, a confident shot from 14 meters sent the ball into the bottom corner of Trubin's goal - 2:1.
From the first minutes of the second half, the Ukrainian team took the advantage and "closed" the Czechs in their half of the field. But only to the actual sharpness it did not lead, not counting the inaccurate shot Vanat from the goalkeeper's line after a free kick. Yes, the Czech team picked up as many as five yellow cards, but what was the use?
And in the end, everything ended with a penalty kick in the gate of Ukraine (for hand play played by Matvienko), which was clearly realized by Soucek - 3:1. However, the Ukraine national team scored quite quickly in response - it was Sudakov on the far post with a header to close the feed from Tsygankov - 3:2. But the "blue-and-yellow" could not achieve more this evening, although it is impossible not to mention a powerful shot by Sudakov from 10 meters, which Kovarzh managed to react to.
In the parallel match of the 2nd round of the first group of the first group of Division "B" Georgia defeated Albania - 1:0. Thus, the tournament position of the teams is as follows:
1. Georgia - 6 points
2. Albania - 3
3. Czech Republic - 3
4. Ukraine - 0.
In the next round in this group on October 11 will play: Ukraine - Georgia, Czech Republic - Albania.
Alexander POPOV
