MX23RW : Saturday, April 20 05:03:54| >> :600:744893:744893:
[monks data]
Ukraine national football team
European Championship | Group Stage
Jun 17, 2021 at 2pm UK
 
North Macedonia national football team

Ukraine
2 - 1
N. Macedonia

Yarmolenko (29'), Yaremchuk (34')
Shaparenko (43')
FT(HT: 2-0)
Alioski (57')
Velkovski (59'), Avramovski (83')

Andriy Shevchenko expecting tough North Macedonia test

Andriy Shevchenko expecting tough North Macedonia test
© Reuters
Ukraine lost their opening Group C match 3-2 against Holland in Amsterdam on Sunday.

Ukraine head coach Andriy Shevchenko warned his side will have to be on top form to beat Euro 2020 minnows North Macedonia on Thursday.

It is a must-win game for Shevchenko's side in Bucharest after they lost their opening Group C match 3-2 against Holland in Amsterdam on Sunday after fighting back from 2-0 down.

Former AC Milan and Chelsea striker Shevchenko told a press conference: "First of all, we need to play our best game.

"We have our worked-out playing pattern and much will depend on our midfield – how they will move and how they will move the ball, the speed and precision of their passes.

"We are a team that loves to attack. Being clinical will be the key tomorrow."

North Macedonia, competing in their first major tournament, lost their opening game 3-1 against Austria, but Shevchenko is expecting a big reaction.

"This is a team that deserves respect," he said. "They have character, they have outstanding leaders and a well-established playing system.

"They almost always play 5-3-2 and like to counter-attack. They are good fighters as well. So we don't expect any gifts from them tomorrow."

Ukraine midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko also envisages a tough encounter following advice from Manchester City team-mate Ilkay Gundogan.

He said: "I spoke to my Manchester City team-mate Gundogan about North Macedonia because they beat Germany 2-1 away a couple of months ago. He said, 'Trust me, this team are trying to play good football.'

"(North Macedonia) are a great team. On the pitch, they are like family.

"They definitely don't have the same kind of players as Holland, but they are very strong as a team. They are very well organised defensively and it's very difficult to score against them."

North Macedonia coach Igor Angelovski told a press conference his side would play without fear in their bid to progress from the group.

He said: "We came to the Euros to reach the round of 16. Whoever wins this match will improve their chances to advance. We are not feeling any pressure, we are motivated, and we will play to win."

ID:451625: cacheID:451625:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3647:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring for Portugal against Hungary at Euro 2020 on June 15, 2021
Read Next:
Euro 2020 Team of the Week - Pogba, Ronaldo, Lukaku
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Germany Germany00000
2 Hungary Hungary00000
3 Scotland flag Scotland00000
4 Switzerland Switzerland00000

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Albania national flag Albania00000
2 Croatia Croatia00000
3 Italy Italy00000
4 Spain Spain00000

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Denmark Denmark00000
2 England flag England00000
3 Serbia Serbia00000
4 Slovenia Slovenia00000

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Austria Austria00000
2 France France00000
3 Netherlands Netherlands00000
4 Poland Poland00000

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Belgium Belgium00000
2 Romania Romania00000
3 Slovakia Slovakia00000
4 Ukraine Ukraine00000

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
1 Czech Republic Czech Republic00000
2 Georgia Georgia00000
3 Portugal Portugal00000
4 Turkey Turkey00000


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!