Ukraine’s third comeback win in four competitive games in 2024 kept its European Championship hopes alive on Friday as Roman Yaremchuk’s decisive goal secured a 2-1 victory over Slovakia.
Following two 2-1 comeback victories in the March playoffs that clinched their spot in Euro 2024, another 2-1 win over Slovakia revitalized Ukraine’s campaign.
The players aim to demonstrate Ukrainian resilience more than two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Ukraine’s poor goal difference, resulting from a 3-0 defeat to Romania on Monday, meant that another loss would have nearly ended their tournament hopes.
In heavy rain, Slovakia struck first in the 17th minute with a header from Ivan Schranz, who had also scored the winner in their surprising 1-0 win over Belgium four days earlier in Group E.
Oleksandr Zinchenko provided a low cross for Mykola Shaparenko, who netted Ukraine’s first goal of the tournament in the 54th minute.
Shaparenko also contributed to the second goal, sending a long pass to Yaremchuk, who controlled the ball expertly before sliding it past goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
Slovakia is tied with Ukraine and Romania at three points each in Group E. Romania and Belgium will face off on Saturday.
Ukraine head coach, Serhiy Rebrov, made four changes to the squad that lost to Romania, but defensive weaknesses persisted.
Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, replacing Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin after his errors against Romania, made several key saves early on but couldn’t stop Schranz’s header.
Schranz was left unmarked at the far post when Zinchenko mistimed his jump to intercept a cross that sailed over his head.
Ukraine increased their offensive efforts after conceding but struggled with finishing.
Right back Oleksandr Tymchyk came closest, hitting the post with a shot diverted by Dubravka.
Zinchenko, despite his mistake on the first goal, was crucial to the second, overlapping on the left to cross for Shaparenko, who found space to score his first international goal in nearly three years.
Substituting Yaremchuk for the largely ineffective Artem Dovbyk proved decisive, as Yaremchuk broke through the Slovakian defense to score the winning goal.
