When is it? How can you watch it? What are the possible line-ups?
Slovakia and Ukraine meet in their Second Group e match at UEFA EURO 2024.
Slovakia and Ukraine at a glance
When: Friday 21 June (21:00 GMT+8 kick-off)
Where: Düsseldorf Arena
What: UEFA EURO 2024 Group E Matchday 2
What do you need to know?
The mood is immensely positive in the Slovakia camp after the 1-0 win over Belgium in their opening Group E fixture, Francesco Calzona’s side making the most of Ivan Schranz’s goal after just seven minutes despite intense pressure. A second victory would take Slovakia a further step towards the round of 16 – potentially making this their best campaign since EURO 2016. Vindication for a team that pride themselves on their ability to fight above their weight.
By contrast, Ukraine had a very frustrating game, losing 3-0 to Romania in a match in which they could not turn possession (66% of it according to the official stats) into goals. Coach Serhiy Rebrov was disappointed, but in an evenly-matched section, his players will not be giving into despair just yet. Past results suggest a close encounter: in eight meetings so far there have been two Slovakia wins and three for Ukraine with three draws. A share of the points in Düsseldorf would certainly suit one team more than the other.
Possible line-ups
Slovakia: Dúbravka; Pekarík, Vavro, Škriniar, Hancko; Kucka, Lobotka, Duda; Schranz/Suslov), Boženík, Haraslín
Ukraine: Trubin; Konoplia, Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Zinchenko; Shaparenko, Brazhko, Sudakov; Tsygankov, Dovbyk, Mudryk
Form guide
Slovakia:
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WWWDLW
Ukraine:
Form (all competitions, most recent first): LWLDWW
Expert predictions
Rastislav Hribik, Slovakia reporter
Do not repeat the same mistake of the last EURO is the motto for Slovakia before their second game of this tournament. In 2021, two defeats followed an opening-day victory and it was all over. This time everybody believes the players will show a different approach with a different result. The Slovaks have won only two out of eight matches against Ukraine, but there is a strong belief in the squad that this game will go differently, especially after those three unexpected points against Belgium.
Bogdan Buga, Ukraine reporter
After the shocking defeat to Romania, Ukraine need to recover their morale above all. Serhiy Rebrov may have to overhaul his lineup to inject more pace and sharpness into the team’s play; might he even change formation to 3-4-3? Young Volodymyr Brazhko could be a game-changer, offering greater versatility as a defensive midfielder compared with the seasoned Taras Stepanenko. In goal, Andriy Lunin may step aside for Anatoliy Trubin, but the unresolved issue at left-back persists with Vitaliy Mykolenko’s ongoing recovery.
What the coaches say
Francesco Calzona, Slovakia coach: “Our greatest strength is humility. We have to give 110% because we’re a small nation and we want to put a smile on the faces of our fans. The euphoria [after beating Belgium] lasted a few hours, but three points will definitely not be enough to go through. There is no reason to celebrate yet. We are fully focused on this match.”
Serhiy Rebrov, Ukraine coach: “We had possession [against Romania], but didn’t create any chances. Nobody expected this result. We have a very serious game ahead of us. We have to talk among ourselves and we have to get ready for the next game.”