On Wednesday, June 18, the youth national team of Ukraine played their third and final match of the group stage of Euro-2025 (U-21), hosted by Slovakia.
Euro-2025 (U-21). Group stage, round 3, group “D”
NETHERLANDS — UKRAINE — 2:0 (1:0)
Goals: Valente (34), van Bergen (56)
Warnings: Maatsen (37), Van der Berg (51) — Vividchenko (47), Ocheretko (59)
Red cards: Regier (82, dangerous play)
Ukraine: 1.Neshchert, 2.Vividchenko, 4.Mikhavko, 16.Batagov (C), 3.Krupskiy (14.Kozik, 73), 8.Ocheretko (18.Yatsyk, 73), 17.Yarmolyuk, 22.Rubchinsky (19.Tsarenko, 66), 9.Voloshin (7.Kvasnytsia, 81), 21.Bragaru, 11.Vanat (10.Vyunik, 66).
Substitutes: 12.Yermakov, 23.Krapivtsov, 5.Smolikov, 13.Salyuk, 15.Roman, 20.Veletien.
Netherlands: 16.Roefs, 2.Rensh (C), 13.Van der Berg, 4.Hato, 5.Maatsen, 3.Flamingo, 22.Valente (6.Regier, 73), 10.Taylor (15.Meyer, 90+2), 7.Manhof (17.Poku, 73), 19.Van Bergen (9.Ogayo, 79), 11.Van Bommel (21.Van Brederoede, 79).
Substitutes: 1.Van den-Hoival, 23.Raaci, 8.Salah-Edin, 12.Kasanvirjo, 14.Idet, 18.Banzuzi.
The first half of the match was played in a competitive struggle with no goal-scoring opportunities. The teams exchanged strikes periodically, but they were hard to call dangerous. The main content of the game was duels. However, in the 34th minute, Ukraine created problems for themselves: Batagov’s mishap led to a lightning-fast attack on Neshchert’s goal, which Valente finished with a precise shot from the edge of the penalty area — 1:0, and the first half was lost.
The Ukrainians started the second half of the match very actively, but conceded themselves: in the 56th minute, following a cutting pass, van Bergen burst into the right side of Ukraine’s penalty area and calmly chipped the ball over Neshchert — 2:0.
After that, the Netherlands took full control, and the defense of the Ukrainian “youth team” came under immense pressure. At one moment, the ball found itself in the net of the Ukrainian goal — offside. In another, there was a one-on-one situation with Neshchert, but the goalkeeper of the youth national team of Ukraine saved his team.
At the end of the match, the Ukrainian team found themselves in greater numbers (after Regier directly kicked Yatsyk in the neck), but this did not help Unai Melgosa’s charges to change the score.
As a result, the youth national team of Ukraine finished in third place in their group, thus concluding their performance in Euro-2025 (U-21).
Alexander POPOV
