Excellent start
Thursday, September 6, 2018
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The Ukraine national team held their first game in the UEFA Nations League
On September 6, the Blue-and-Yellows met with the Czech Republic away.
Six Miners in the starting XI
Six Shakhtar players appeared in the starting line-up from the off: Andriy Pyatov (captain), Yaroslav Rakits’kyy, Sergii Kryvtsov, Mykola Matviienko, Taras Stepanenko, and Marlos. The defensive third featured the Shakhtar academy graduate Oleksandr Karavaev, with Ruslan Malynovskyi – another Shakhtar school graduate - playing in midfield.
The will to win
The hosts managed to open the score early, with Patrik Schick netting the opener just in the 4th minute. The Ukrainians could have equalised immediately, but Roman Yaremchuk failed to convert two excellent opportunities. Andriy Shevchenko’s men dominated the entire first half and produced more than ten attempts on goal (with Stepanenko taking a couple of shots), but they managed to score only in the injury time: Marlos moved from the right wing to the edge of the penalty area and brought Konoplyanka through on target, with the latter hitting the bottom corner.
Early in the second half, the same Konoplyanka must have sent a Matviienko pass home, though he just saw the ball whizz just inches off the post. Yarmolenko, Zinchenko, and Konoplyanka had some more great chances – all stopped by the host keeper. The Czechs also managed to carry out several dangerous attacks, but the defence led by Andriy Pyatov managed to cope with those threats. The denouement happened in the dying seconds of the match: after a delivery into the penalty area, the Czech goalie made an error while rushing out, with Oleksandr Zinchenko sending the ricochet ball into the back of the net. 2-1 - the national team of Ukraine started their UEFA Nations League campaign with a victory.
Czech Republic 1-2 (1-1) Ukraine
Goals: 1-0 Schick (4), 1-1 Konoplyanka (45+1), 1-2 Zinchenko (90+3)
Ukraine: Pyatov (c), Matviienko, Rakits’kyy, Kryvtsov, Karavaev, Stepanenko, Malynovskyi, Konoplyanka (Tsyhankov, 77), Yarmolenko (Zinchenko, 66), Marlos, Yaremchuk (Seleznov, 85)
The Blue-Yellows will play their next game vs Slovakia national team in Lviv on September 9.
Six Miners in the starting XI
Six Shakhtar players appeared in the starting line-up from the off: Andriy Pyatov (captain), Yaroslav Rakits’kyy, Sergii Kryvtsov, Mykola Matviienko, Taras Stepanenko, and Marlos. The defensive third featured the Shakhtar academy graduate Oleksandr Karavaev, with Ruslan Malynovskyi – another Shakhtar school graduate - playing in midfield.
The will to win
The hosts managed to open the score early, with Patrik Schick netting the opener just in the 4th minute. The Ukrainians could have equalised immediately, but Roman Yaremchuk failed to convert two excellent opportunities. Andriy Shevchenko’s men dominated the entire first half and produced more than ten attempts on goal (with Stepanenko taking a couple of shots), but they managed to score only in the injury time: Marlos moved from the right wing to the edge of the penalty area and brought Konoplyanka through on target, with the latter hitting the bottom corner.
Early in the second half, the same Konoplyanka must have sent a Matviienko pass home, though he just saw the ball whizz just inches off the post. Yarmolenko, Zinchenko, and Konoplyanka had some more great chances – all stopped by the host keeper. The Czechs also managed to carry out several dangerous attacks, but the defence led by Andriy Pyatov managed to cope with those threats. The denouement happened in the dying seconds of the match: after a delivery into the penalty area, the Czech goalie made an error while rushing out, with Oleksandr Zinchenko sending the ricochet ball into the back of the net. 2-1 - the national team of Ukraine started their UEFA Nations League campaign with a victory.
Czech Republic 1-2 (1-1) Ukraine
Goals: 1-0 Schick (4), 1-1 Konoplyanka (45+1), 1-2 Zinchenko (90+3)
Ukraine: Pyatov (c), Matviienko, Rakits’kyy, Kryvtsov, Karavaev, Stepanenko, Malynovskyi, Konoplyanka (Tsyhankov, 77), Yarmolenko (Zinchenko, 66), Marlos, Yaremchuk (Seleznov, 85)
The Blue-Yellows will play their next game vs Slovakia national team in Lviv on September 9.
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