Next to Belgium, the team almost guaranteed a place to advance with the top spot in Group E, Ukraine is considered the second team with the ability to compete due to the relatively quality squad they possess. However, their strength compared to Slovakia or Romania, their opponent on the 17th of this month, is not significantly different, so Zinchenko and his teammates need a victory to take the upper hand.

Expert opinion on the match between Ukraine vs Romania

Although they had to struggle to secure a playoff spot for EURO 2024, it cannot be said that Ukraine lacks the ability. The reason they couldn’t participate directly is because they were in the same group as the two giants Italy and England in the qualifiers. Comparing with the current opponents in the group, the yellow-shirted team may only rank behind Belgium in terms of professional strength. Ukraine has shown their discomfort in recent matches when coach Serhiy Rebrov’s team successively defeated Bosnia and Iceland in the playoff matches for EURO 2024, then silenced the strong attack of the German national team and finally achieved a 4-0 victory against Moldova just before the tournament. It can be seen that Ukraine is truly ready to become a dark horse of this summer’s tournament.

If Ukraine had to play 2 more playoff matches to reach the biggest tournament in Europe, Romania even made a strong impression by leading the qualifiers. Although it was a group with not very well-known national teams, the convincing performance of Romania cannot be denied, especially when the team does not have any prominent star. The battle between a Ukraine with class and stars at a fairly high level in Europe, and a Romania with an impressive form, it is difficult to determine which side will have a higher winning percentage. However, in a tournament as big as EURO, the experience and star quality of Ukraine will be highly valued compared to Romania, who has not been familiar in the continent for many years.

Overview of the history of matches between Ukraine vs Romania

Both are not among the big teams in recent years, Ukraine and Romania have had few opportunities to face each other in major tournaments. The most recent match between the two teams took place in 2016 with a 4-3 victory for Ukraine. In a broader sense, in the last 5 encounters, the yellow-shirted team also has the edge with 3 wins compared to 2 for Romania.

Check the odds of the match between Ukraine vs Romania

In the current squad of Ukraine, coach Serhiy Rebrov also has quite a few stars with potential, such as Mykhailo Mudryk, Zinchenko, and especially Artem Dovbyk, a striker in top form at Girona in La Liga last season. That is why the team from Eastern Europe is a formidable opponent for any big team at this year’s EURO.

In contrast to Ukraine, Romania is a team that almost has no famous stars and is mainly built on the discipline of the defense. Throughout the qualifying phase, the Southeast European national team only conceded 5 goals in 10 matches, and it is no surprise that the brightest star of Romania also comes from the defense, Radu Dragusin of Tottenham Hotspur.

• Ukraine corner handicap: In the opening match, both Ukraine and Romania will naturally try to make the best use of their abilities. For the team led by coach Serhiy Rebrov, it will be about fast attacking from the wings, while Edward Iordanescu’s team will be more defensively oriented. Therefore, corner kicks will mainly be for Ukraine.
• Total goals under: Don’t let the over/under odds of 1.5 for the whole match deceive you, as recent matches of both Ukraine and Romania have tended to be tight. Romania has even had two consecutive goalless draws.
• Choose Ukraine -0.5: The way of playing, recent form, and results all indicate a closely contested match between Ukraine and Romania. With such a scenario, only moments of brilliance from the stars can break the deadlock, and in terms of star quality, Ukraine is superior to their opponents.

Ukraine vs Romania Squad Status

Both teams have their strongest lineups Expected lineups for Ukraine vs Romania match

• Ukraine (4-2-1-3): Lunin, Mykolenko, Bondar, Matviyenko, Konoplya, Zinchenko, Stepanenko, Mudryk, Yarmolenko, Tsygankov, Dovbyk.
• Romania (4-2-3-1): Moldovan, Olaru, Racovitan, Dragusin, Mogos, Sut, Cicaldau, Coman, Hagi, Sorescu, Pușcaș.

Predicted match score: Ukraine 1-0 Romania