On Tuesday, November 19, the Ukrainian national team played its final match in the group stage of the Nations League 2024/25 season. The “blue-yellow” team faced Albania, and the game took place in Tirana at the “Air Albania” stadium.
Nations League 2024/25. Division “B”. Group 1. Round 6
ALBANIA — UKRAINE — 1:2 (0:2)
Goals: Bajrami (75 pen.) — Zinchenko (5), Yaremchuk (9)
Warnings: Dovbyk (80) — Bajrami (68), Mitaj (79), Tuci (80)
Ukraine: 12.Trubin — 2.Konoplya (3.Sych, 76), 13.Zabarnyi, 22.Matviyenko (C), 16.Mykolenko — 21.Kalyuzhny, 8.Sudakov, 17.Zinchenko (10.Shaparenko, 69) — 19.Hutsulyak (14.Nazarenko, 85), 7.Mudryk (4.Talaverov, 85) — 9.Yaremchuk (11.Dovbyk, 76).
Substitutes: 1.Bushchan, 23.Ryznyk, 5.Bondar, 6.Brazhko, 15.Kryskiv, 18.Yarmolyuk, 20.Zubkov.
Albania: 1.Strakosha, 2.Balju, 18.Ismajli (C), 5.Ajeti, 3.Mitaj, 8.Asllani, 20.Ramadhani (7.Tuci, 76), 14.Lyçi (15.Seferi, 90), 9.Asani (10.Bajrami, 46), 17.Muchi (21.Hoxha, 51), 19.Daku (11.Uzuni, 46).
Substitutes: 12.Kastrati, 23.Sherifi, 4.Hysaj, 6.Mersinaj, 13.Mihaj, 16.Muja, 22.Abrahi.
Match statistics >>>
Post-match press conference >>>
The Ukrainian team took positional advantage from the starting whistle, and just five minutes into the match, it paid off: during a prolonged attack by the “blue-yellows”, Yaremchuk shot from the edge of the Albanian penalty area, hit an opponent, the ball bounced to Zinchenko, and he struck on the fly from about 12 meters into the lower corner of Strakosha's goal — 0:1.
Not even five minutes later, Ukraine doubled its lead: Sudakov softly crossed into the opponent's penalty area, Konoplya won a fight in the air and made a flick on the far post, where Yaremchuk, jumping, scored with a header from two meters into the Albanian goal — 0:2.
After conceding two goals, the Albanians did not get discouraged but rather intensified their attack. However, they did not achieve anything noteworthy. The Ukrainian team soon added another dangerous moment to their account — a powerful shot from Sudakov outside the penalty area that Strakosha struggled to deal with, dangerously deflecting the ball in front of him.
However, overall, during this segment of the match, the play was even. At the end of the first half, the Ukrainian team again held positional advantage, but it was in these conditions that the Albanian team created its first goal-scoring chance in this match: just before the halftime whistle, Muchi shot from about 20 meters, and the ball flew just a few centimeters from the post.
At the beginning of the second half, the Albanian team literally rushed to the Ukrainian goal and retained possession until the final whistle. But the first dangerous moment after the break was created by the guests — Sudakov shot from distance and the ball flew not far from the crossbar of Strakosha's goal. However, the Albanians immediately responded with exactly the same shot from Uzuni. Later, Ajeti shot accurately — Trubin, diving, managed to avert the threat from his goal.
Overall, the Ukrainian team defended reliably, but in the 74th minute of the match, Trubin fouled Uzuni in the penalty area, and the referee unhesitatingly awarded a penalty, which Bajrami confidently converted — 1:2.
After that, the pressure on the Ukrainian goal understandably increased. However, in the end, the guests managed to maintain their winning score. Moreover, they could have extended their success, but in stoppage time of the second half, Strakosha dealt with a dangerous shot from Nazarenko.
In a parallel match of the 6th round of Group 1 of Division “B”, the Czech Republic beat Georgia at home — 2:1. As a result, the final tournament standing of the teams in this group is as follows:
1. Czech Republic — 11 points
2. Ukraine — 8
3. Georgia — 7
4. Albania — 7
According to the tournament regulations, the Ukrainian team now faces playoff matches against representatives of Division “A” for the right to compete in it in the next season of the Nations League.
Alexander POPOV
