The Euro Cup is one of the most coveted titles in the world of football with major European powerhouses eyeing to win the championship and reign at the top. England has always been a major contender for the title but is still to taste victory at the final match to win the cup. In this light, England vs Ukraine has a thriller of a match to qualify for the Euro 2024 championship. Both teams hustled to outdo the other in what turned out to be a game full of surprises and last-moment thrills. Let’s delve deeper into the match and find out its details.
England vs Ukraine: A Melodramatic Finish Resulting In Draw
Ukraine ended England’s ideal record in the 2024 Euro Championship qualifying after Zinchenko’s goal right in the first half helped his team result in a 1-1 draw. Britain will have to be held up a little longer to qualify for Euro 2024 after their route was thwarted by the Ukrainian side also breaking their perfect record.
Zinchenko put Ukraine upfront early in the game with a side-footed goal scored within the 26th minute before Kyle Walker equalized the game with his first goal for Britain, on his 77th appearance. Such was the result of the England vs Ukraine matchup. Bukayo Saka hit the crossbar whereas Harry Maguire missed some half-chances from set-pieces, as Britain moved forward their rhythm after the break but found no final pass to urge the three points in the points table.
The Three Lions stay six points clear of second-placed Ukraine but it will be interesting to note how things turn out for both the sides after the England vs Ukraine match. Ukraine will play its home game in Poland owing to the wartime disruption with Russia. The scorecard for the match can be seen as follows:
| Team | Goal | Result |
| Ukraine
England |
1 (Zinchenko)
1 (Walker) |
Scores tied, match draw |
England Vs Ukraine: Analysing The Squads
Both teams came out to the field with their ace players with England making some changes in the lineup that would give them a boost. The Ukrainian side too was upbeat playing their home game and wanted to give the fans a reason to celebrate amid the deteriorating conditions at home. The England vs Ukraine match lineups can be seen in the chart below:
| England | Ukraine |
| Pickford | Mudryk |
| Walker | Yaremchuk |
| Kane | Malinovskyi |
| Guehi | Zinchenko |
| Maguire | Stepanenko |
| Chilwell | Sudakov |
| Henderson | Mykolenko |
| Rice | Matviyenko |
| Saka | Svatok |
| Madison | Karavaiev |
| Bellingham | Trubin |
England vs Ukraine: Was The English Lineup Flawed?
After Britain director Gareth Southgate chose Jordan Henderson and Maguire in his line-up, Britain came out unequivocally within the first 10 minutes, holding the ball most of the time but making exceptionally small out of it. Only a single blocked Saka shot from far away went within the course of the Ukrainian goalpost before the hosts made the England team pay by scoring a wonderful goal early in the match.
Sudakov broke through the center of the pitch to discharge right-back Konoplya on a fast and exhausting run. The defender crossed for the unmarked Zinchenko who swished in a goal past the keeper, much to the home crowd’s delight. Britain misplaced their composure within the minutes that were taken after, with a messy yellow card for Maddison summing up a largely baffling first half.
The Tottenham midfielder had a great chance to level the score but his poor touch from Bellingham’s pass denied him the chance to act before Henderson burst over from the edge of the box. Maguire could not convert the goal from a freekick it touched the roof of the goal while Saka missed the goalpost by a margin hitting the crossbar. Hence the England vs Ukraine match raised questions regarding the lineup.
Southgate had brought Rashford and Foden on to lift the assaulting disposition but not one or the other managed to create an impressive effect. Instep, it was Maguire who had the last genuine chance of the match for Britain as he fizzled to wrap up at the far post after Henderson’s flick-on, with Bushchan doing sufficient to deny the guard before winning a free-kick.
England vs Ukraine: Woes Continue For The English Manager
Qualification may have been just a formality for Britain but a 1-1 draw against Ukraine displayed that Gareth Southgate’s group selection could be better. The supervisor incorporates a few issues to work out in case they meet this incredible challenge to end up trophy victors this summer. This match must still be surrounded by the intensity of the ostensible home group, as an honorable Ukrainian side turned the enthusiasm of the tens of thousands who voyage to the Wroclaw Stadium in Poland into a fine execution.
That raised this whole event way past simply a European Championship qualifier, and into something much more uncommon, that regularly felt like a benefit to witness. The moment of Zinchenko’s starting goal was elevating. It is why Britain might perhaps be pardoned for their loose start as the England vs Ukraine game was just another step for the English on its inevitable road to the Euro Cup qualification.
On the off chance that Gareth Southgate is to turn Euro 2024 into an event that the fans can celebrate, as he has often iterated, there are issues that the game highlighted that need to be rectified. The lineup selection needs to be looked into with careful consideration and the right chemistry needs to be put in.
Wrapping It Up
As the England vs Ukraine match ended in a draw, English fans who had traveled to Poland did not have much to rejoice as they did not witness what they had expected. The Ukrainian fans on the other hand enjoyed the match to the core and it was akin to winning the match and their celebration and support for their team showed the same.