Match Prediction: Romania vs Ukraine UEFA European Championship 2024
Group E might involve the very impressive Belgium side, but these two teams should feel they have an excellent opportunity to advance to the last 16 stage of the tournament. Along with Slovakia, it is widely accepted that these three teams will be playing for second place. Therefore, the winners of this game are likely to make it to the tournament's latter stages.
Both teams' success will be built upon their reliable defensive performances. Their forward lines have recently looked very blunt, so we are not expecting this game to end in a goal fest. These types of games, played with such a tense atmosphere, are what elite sport is all about.
How did they qualify?
Despite not qualifying for the previous tournament, Romania qualified for this one quickly, winning six and drawing four. This resulted in them finishing seven points above third-placed Israel. Most notably, they only conceded five goals throughout their qualification campaign. It is clear to everyone that they will heavily rely on their strong defence throughout this tournament.
Several times during Ukraine's qualifying campaign, qualification looked far from guaranteed. For instance, they should have been rewarded a last-minute penalty against Italy, which, if converted, would have seen them qualify for the tournament automatically. Instead, they were forced to go down the playoff route, coming from behind to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland.
Team Analysis
Both of these teams lack great firepower. Watching this Ukraine side recently has not been the most enjoyable. They do have some players suited for the counter-attack, and it is clear that this is where their strength lies.
Romania's whole game is set up based on a highly conservative approach. They will be looking to build upon their recent solid performances and keep several clean sheets throughout the tournament. If they can keep this Ukranian side at bay, they will hope to score one at the other end and walk away with all three points.
Players to watch
As already touched upon, Romania's success will depend primarily on how well they can defend. Therefore, the prominent player to highlight is their star defender.
- Radu Dragusin: The 22-year-old signed for Spurs in January and has found playing time hard to come by. He did, however, play the last two games of the season impressively and is most likely Romania's best chance of going far this tournament.
This Ukrainian side lacked quality in their European campaign. They need one of their best-known players to step up, so we will highlight one man.
- Mykhailo Mudryk: Since joining Chelsea for a considerable sum, it's fair to say that the Ukranian hasn't had the best of times. However, he has a pace to burn and might decide to have his best moment in a Ukranian shirt this summer.
Prediction
We are not predicting many goals in this game. For the neutral, it won't be the game that demands the most attention but will be played on a knife edge. Three points for either team, though, could prove to be huge, and due to Romania's fantastic defensive record, we are backing them to just walk away with victory.