Both Slovakia and Ukraine have had very surprising results in the first round of Euro this year. Currently, the mindset of both teams as they enter the 2nd round of Group E matches. Zinchenko and his teammates are forced to win if they want to continue to keep their hopes alive. Meanwhile, Slovakia only needs to have a draw.
Expert opinion on the Slovakia vs Ukraine match
Rated much better than Romania, however, Ukraine surprisingly let their opponents beat them with a score of 3-0. The biggest issue for Zinchenko and his teammates is that they lack quality finishes when bringing the ball to the opponent’s final third. In the recent match, Ukraine did not lack opportunities to pressure Romania’s goal. Another equally influential factor in Ukraine’s operation is the uneven distribution of physical strength. Ukraine chose to attack Romania and constantly created situations to pressure the opponent’s goal. This made the main players unable to maintain good physical condition in the late stages of the match.
As for Slovakia, their victory against the Belgian team partly came from luck, but their style of play is also highly regarded. According to the ratings, Martin Dubravka has the highest score, but in the game, Stanislav Lobotka is clearly the most impressive player. The Napoli player played excellently in controlling and cutting off the midfield, which heavily relied on Kevin de Bruyne of Belgium. Furthermore, the other two midfielders of Slovakia, Kucka and Duda, also left a strong impression with their aggressive play. While Lobotka often drops deep to play as a pivot, these two players often appear in front of the opponent’s penalty area to wait for scoring opportunities.
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Overview of the past matches between Slovakia vs Ukraine
The recent head-to-head record between Slovakia and Ukraine shows an impressive balance. In the last 5 matches, each team has beaten their opponent twice and shared points in the remaining match. Therefore, the upcoming 2nd round match is expected to be quite evenly matched.
Odds for the Slovakia vs Ukraine match
Ukraine still has a chance to advance after losing to Romania. However, their primary task is to win against Slovakia in the upcoming match. Coach Sergiy Rebrov must find a solution for Ukraine’s midfield, especially the position of Mykola Shaparenko. The 25-year-old midfielder often seems out of sync with his teammates and made many difficult passes in the recent match against Romania.
After earning 3 points against the Belgian team, it is likely that Slovakia will aim to get points against Ukraine. In that case, playing with a deep defensive line will be a very effective strategy. In addition, with physically strong midfielders like Lobotka and Kucka, Ukraine will surely have a hard time implementing their game plan.
- Under goals: It’s quite difficult to expect a match with too many goals. Because Slovakia will choose a safe playing style. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s attacking performance is quite poor. In their last 5 matches, Dovbyk and his teammates only scored 7 times. Therefore, the experts’ Euro betting guide suggests betting on Under goals.
- Total corner kicks: Betting on Total corner kicks seems to be a bright option for the upcoming match between Slovakia and Ukraine. The number of corner kicks obtained by both teams in the first leg match was 7 and 8 respectively. In the context where Ukraine must win, they can totally rely on set-piece situations like corner kicks to take advantage of Dovbyk and Yarmolenko’s good aerial abilities.
- Select Slovakia +0.5: In the 2nd match at Euro between Slovakia and Ukraine, the yellow-blue team is receiving a handicap of -0.5 from the bookmakers. According to the experts’ assessment, the chance for Ukraine to win 3 points is still quite difficult. They also have not won the handicap in their last 4 out of 5 matches.
Information about the squads of Slovakia and Ukraine
- Slovakia: Full strength squad.
- Ukraine: Best strength squad.
Predicted line-ups for Slovakia and Ukraine
- Slovakia (formation 4-3-3): Dubravka, Pekarik, Vavro, Skriniar, Hancko, Kucka, Lobotka, Duda, Schranz, Bozenik, Haraslin.
- Ukraine (formation 4-2-3-1): Lunin, Konoplya, Zabarnyi, Matviienko, Zinchenko, Stepanenko, Shaparenko, Tsygankov, Sudakov, Mudryk, Dovbyk
Prediction for the match score: Slovakia 0-0 Ukraine
See more: Prediction for the match Poland vs Austria on the evening of 21/06: The battle of the equally suffering Prediction for the match Spain vs Italy on the morning of 21/6: Judgment for the next round spot
