Ukraine 2-1 North Macedonia – Rough and Tumble2 min read

Ukraine took on North Macedonia at the National Stadium in Bucharest for their second game of the Euro 2020 tournament.

Ukraine came with a team that showed a lot of promise against the Netherlands on Sunday, with the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko bolstering their attack.

As expected, Andriy Shevchenko’s team were dominating in possession with a continuous press into the opposition half.

However, the opening minutes showed an impressive display by North Macedonia keeper Stole Dimitrievski. The 27-year-old made great acrobatic saves in the first few minutes, frustrating the Ukrainian attack.

Yarmolenko, alongside Roman Yaremchuk, was looking to make the breakthrough with consistent chances.

Ukraine finally broke the deadlock just under the half-hour mark. A corner attempt from Malinovsky was flicked on to Yarmelenko in the box, who scored from close range into the Macedonian net.

Almost five minutes later, he assisted his strike partner Yaremchuk, who slotted a low shot near-post in a calm and collected manner past Dimitrievski.

The pressure was building up throughout the match. A few minutes after the second goal, North Macedonian captain Goran Pandev thought he halved the deficit for his team after chipping the keeper in the box. However, his goal was flagged offside.

The first half ended 2-0 with Ukraine still in hopes of qualifying to the next round.

Second Half

In the 55^th minute, North Macedonia were awarded a penalty after Pandev went down in the Ukraine box. The appeal came after Aleksandar Trajkovski curled an amazing shot that ended up hitting the cross bar.

In an attempt to retrieve the ball, Pandev collided with Karavayev and dropped the floor.

Leeds United’s Ezgjan Alioski stepped up to the penalty spot. The initial shot was saved by Heorhiy Bushchan but Alioski managed to score from a close rebound.

What followed in the remainder of the game was a lot of tussling between the Ukrainian and Macedonian players.

The referee of the afternoon, Fernando Andres Rapallini, continuously tried to resolve any disputes between both sides.

In the final 10 minutes of the game, Ukraine were also awarded a penalty after a VAR review from a set piece. A deflection from the Macedonian wall was deemed handball inside the box.

Malinovsky stepped up to take the penalty but his shot was saved by Dimitrievsky, who had shown bouts of an impressive performance throughout the night.

Despite the goalie’s form, Ukraine still won 2-1 in Bucharest.

Source of Image: UEFA EURO 2020 via Twitter