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The last two spots in the quarterfinals are up for grabs and the onus will be on the Ukraine to force a result from today’s match against England, if they wish to progress further in Euro ’12. Anything short of a victory would mean that the co-hosts will be knocked out of the tournament. Oleh Blokhin’s will be mindful of the fact that they have to put on an extraordinary performance if they are to beat the Three Lions, for whom even a draw would suffice.
Form Guide:
Ukraine
Ukraine started off the tournament on a high defeating Sweden 2-1 to the delight of the sold out Olympic Stadium in Kiev. Talisman striker Andriy Shevchenko was the toast of the nation as he propelled his team to victory with a handsome brace in the second half to overcome a one goal deficit. They fought hard in the second match against France, but were eventually outplayed and lost the game 2-0. The gulf in class between the two sides became evident as the game progressed as Ukraine lacked depth in their squad and were simply not good enough on that day.
Andiry Shevchenko’s fitness will be a major concern for Ukraine after he suffered a knee injury in the match against France. Oleh Blokhin describes his chances of playing in the game as 50-50 and assures they are doing everything possible to get him ready. Even if he does get fit in time, it will be doubtful whether he will play the full 90 minutes. If Ukraine are to win, they are going to have to be proactive in attack, the absence of Shevchenko would mean that their counter attacking ability will take a major hit and therefore they will have to look to play in the England half in order to create chances. Marko Devic is expected to start in place of Sheva in case the latter cannot recover in time.
Last Five Games- LWLLW
England
England have had a good tournament so far, with a draw against France and a win against Sweden. They started off rather slowly and will consider themselves lucky to escape with a point against an impressive French side. Their second match against Sweden turned into a goal fest and was arguably the most exciting match so far. England were up 1-0 at half time and the match seemed rather dull until then, but the second half proved to be an emotional roller-coaster as Sweden took the lead thanks to an inspired performance by Melberg. The Swedes were not to taste victory though, as a late blitz by Theo Walcott ensured England took the game 3-2.
England will get a boost in today’s game, as Wayne Rooney will be back in the starting eleven after serving a two-match suspension. Hodgson has confirmed that Theo Walcott, whose heroics won them the game against Sweden, is fit to play after a minor hamstring injury. Walcott will be replacing Milner, who hasn’t played badly either on the right flank, but is no match for Walcott in his current form. England might even alter their formation and play a five-man midfield with Rooney as lone striker.
Last Five Games- WDWWL
Head to Head:
The last two matches between England and Ukraine have ended in a win for each side. The last time Ukraine hosted England, they won 1-0. Interestingly, their squad has hardly changed since that famous victory and they will be looking to repeat the feat. Overall, the two have played each other four times in the past and England have won three of those and lost one. They will be playing each other twice more since they are drawn in the same group for the 2014 world cup qualifications. Also, Ukraine have never won a match in the Donbass Arena in Donetsk and will be looking to get that monkey off their back.
Possible Lineups and Formations:
Ukraine- 4-1-3-2
Gk- Pyatov
Def- Husyev, Mikhalik, Kacheridi, Selin
Mid- Tymoshchuk, Yarmolenko, Nazarenko, Konoplyanka
For- Voronin, Shevchenko
England- 4-4-2
Gk- Hart
Def- Johnson, Terry, Lescott, Cole
Mid- Walcott, Gerrard, Parker, Young
For- Rooney, Welbeck
Match Impact:
There are various permutations still possible in the group standings as the top three teams still stand a chance of qualification. A win for England will give them the chance of topping the Group D while a draw would be enough for qualification. If Ukraine win, they go through along with France, but if the French lose to Sweden they could get eliminated due to goal difference, irrespective of the result in the Ukraine-England game.
Prediction:
England 2-0 Ukraine
England look very impressive in attack and with Walcott, Rooney and Welbeck, they should be able to net at least two goals. Ukraine will struggle if Shevchenko is absent or is not 100% fit and though Devic is a talented player, they lack the creativity in their midfield to really trouble the England defence.
