The Ukraine national team played their third-round match in League B of the UEFA Nations League. In Trnava, at the Anton Malatinský Stadium, the “blue and yellows” hosted Northern Ireland.
Andrea Maldera included two Dynamo players in the starting lineup – Volodymyr Brazhko and Andriy Yarmolenko, who led the national team onto the pitch wearing the captain’s armband.
From the very beginning, the game did not go according to Ukraine’s plan – already in the ninth minute, the opponents opened the scoring following a corner. Kieron Brown squeezed the ball past Riznyk from close range, while Illia Zabarnyi failed to clear it off the line.
In the 22nd minute, Isaac Price scored Northern Ireland’s second goal against Ukraine, meeting a cross from the right flank.
In the second half of the opening period, the “blue and yellows” recovered somewhat, but still failed to pull even a goal back. In the 61st minute, the score became a rout: following a long pass from goalkeeper Pierce Charles, Brown won the ball in the air and knocked it toward the goal, and after a mistake by Dmytro Riznyk coming off his line, the ball rolled into the net. This proved to be the final goal of the game – a heavy defeat for the national team, which was Andrea Maldera’s first at the helm of Ukraine.
In addition to Brazhko, who played 56 minutes, and Yarmolenko, who was substituted in the 62nd minute, another Dynamo player Matviy Ponomarenko also featured in the game. He came onto the pitch in the 62nd minute.
Just a few minutes later, Ponomarenko created the most dangerous chance of the game for the visitors. Taking the initiative, he burst into the penalty area and struck with his left foot – the ball hit the post. In the 88th minute, Matviy received a yellow card for pushing an opponent.
After three of six rounds, Northern Ireland lead our group with seven points. Ukraine and Hungary have four points each, while Georgia have only one point.
Photo – UAF
