Trailing 1-0, Ukraine managed to turn the match around to win against Iceland (2-1) in the Euro 2024 play-offs. Madric scored a late save to send his selection to the German meeting in the summer, in a group with Belgium, Slovenia and Romania.
Ukraine, at war with Russia for two years, qualified for Euro 2024, beating Iceland 2-1 in a play-off on Tuesday in Wroclaw, Poland, where the match was moved. Like Bosnia in the previous round, the Ukrainians initially seemed completely paralyzed by potential qualification, with the stakes going far beyond the sporting aspect.
Sluggish during the first period, they were punished by a compact Icelandic team led by Genoa striker Albert Gudmundsson. Author of a hat-trick against Israel in the play-off semi-finals, Gudmundsson scored his 4th goal in as many days, beating the entire Ukrainian defense on the edge of the area and deceiving Andriy Lunin (1-0, 30th).
Location in affordable group
But carried by the 40,000 spectators at the Wrocław Arena, all committed to their cause, the 250,000 Ukrainian citizens now living in this city in south-west Poland, and people for whom they are on a mission every time they enter the arena is A football field, the partners of Mihail Mudric completely changed their face in the second half.
Monopolizing the ball, preventing the Icelanders from leaving their camp, they equalized thanks to Girona winger, Viktor Tsygankov (1-1, 54th). It was Chelsea winger Mudric, who struck in the 84th minute and delivered to his partners who completely got the upper hand over the exhausted Icelanders.
In Germany this summer, the Ukrainians will be relegated to Group E, an open group in which they will find Belgium, the favorites, Romania and Slovakia, whose head of government, Robert Fico, leads an openly pro-Russian policy. For two years, every match of the Ukrainian selection nicknamed “Zabirna” has taken on more than a simple sporting objective.
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