(Football news) The weekend match will take place on a neutral pitch, as the Three Lions attempt to get 15 points out of a possible 15, despite the fact that war rages in the “home team’s” nation.
Six months after Ukraine’s 2-0 defeat to England at Wembley, which saw Sergiy Rebrov’s squad get off to the worst possible start in the preliminary rounds before a thrilling 3-3 friendly draw with 2024 hosts Germany, the teams will square off once more on Saturday.
When competitive play started in June, though, Ukraine had additional reasons to be pleased. A thrilling 3-2 victory over North Macedonia, in which they overcame a two-goal deficit, came before a 1-0 victory over Malta thanks to a penalty kick from Viktor Tsygankov.
Three days prior to that slim victory, the Girona forward had completed Ukraine’s stunning comeback against North Macedonia by scoring their third and final goal. Rebrov’s team was able to secure their position in the top two of Group C at that early point thanks to that goal.
Although Italy, who are in a worse position than Rebrov’s team by one place and three points, have also played one fewer game, Ukraine has a game in hand on their upcoming opponents. The Blue and Yellow must also use their brains against Italy three days after facing off against England.
Ukraine’s setback to the Three Lions in March was their only loss in their previous 13 European Championship qualifying matches, but this time around, with the added challenge of playing away from home, reaching the finals for the fourth consecutive season may be more difficult.
After an almost faultless start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign in which they have swept aside everything in their path thus far, England’s men’s squad now seeks to prolong the feel-good factor after the nation was captivated by Women’s World Cup fever over the summer.
The Three Lions hosted North Macedonia at Old Trafford on June 19 after three straight victories over Italy, Ukraine, and Malta. However, the visitors’ stopover at the Theatre of Dreams quickly turned into a nightmare as Gareth Southgate’s ruthless army hit them for seven.
Bukayo Saka, who scored three goals, won the match ball for the first time, and other players who scored goals were Harry Kane (2), Marcus Rashford, and Kalvin Phillips in that rout that gave England an unassailable six-point advantage at the top of Group C.
The Three Lions have scored 15 goals so far, which is more than any other UEFA country in all of the groups combined. Since a 2-1 loss to the Czech Republic in 2019, the Three Lions’ winning streak in Euros qualifying games has been seven games long and throughout that time, they have only allowed one goal.
Before the Saka and Kane display in March’s victory over Ukraine, Southgate’s crop dashed the Blue and Yellow’s hopes of reaching the Euro 2020 semifinals with a 4-0 victory, and the sole victory for the “hosts” in this matchup so far came in a 2010 World Cup qualifier.
Ukraine Euro Form L W W
England Euro Form W W W W
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