England vs Ukraine
02 July 2000hrs
Football – International – Euro 2020
Pick England to win to nil
Bookmaker Paddy Power
Odds: Evens odds taken 2000 GMT, Thursday 1 July
England are big favourites to make it to their first semi-final in the European Championships since 1996 whilst Ukraine are hoping to continue their record breaking tournament
Table of Contents
England Preview – Can Switzerland follow up their excellent win last time out by taking another scalp?
The build-up to England’s last 16 clash against Germany was huge and it was how they dealt with that pressure as much as the game itself. They managed to do so and goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane proved to be the difference as England reached the last eight. Expectation is growing now that they can win their first ever European Championship. Gareth Southgate has the job of tempering that within the squad and get them concentrating on this next game.
Southgate has come under scrutiny for how cautious his team have been in the competition but they remain the only team not to have conceded a goal and that defensive solidity could well be the difference between them and the other contenders.
There was much discussion around what would be of more benefit to England in terms of their finishing position in the group. Topping their section appears to have worked out well for them as they have the easier route to next Sunday’s final. If they can get past Ukraine, England will face the winners of Czech Republic and Denmark.
This will be the first time Southgate and his players play away from Wembley in this tournament and they will hope to be back at their home where both the semi-finals and final will be played.
Ukraine Preview – Are Spain set to make it to their third semi-final in four attempts at the Euros ?
Ukraine are amongst the biggest surprises of Euro 2020 so far and they will be hoping they can continue their journey beyond this weekend. Andriy Shevchenko has enjoyed so much success as a player but he will take so much satisfaction from leading his country to this stage of the Euros for the first time. In a competition where they lost two of their three group games, Ukraine benefited from the format brought in back in 2016.
Results had to go their way after their last group match which they duly did. And they were fortunate in some ways that they played probably the weakest of the group winners in Sweden.
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It was a real battle against the Swedes at Hampden on Tuesday and a last minute goal from Artem Dovbyk in extra-time has seen them reach the quarter-finals and make the journey to Rome where they hope to cause a big shock.
Premier League followers will be familiar with Andriy Yarmolenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko, the former having scored two goals in the tournament so far. There’s been a lot of focus on Atalanta’s Ruslan Malinovskyi but as yet the wide player has yet to make the impact many expected but could still prove a threat in this match.
England vs Ukraine Betting Advice
If England don’t build on the win over Germany and make it past Ukraine it would go down as one of the biggest disappointments in their tournament history. Their opponents are in new territory and although anything now is a bonus that could make them more dangerous as they are able to play with freedom. They also have a couple of technicians who can cause any team problems.
It’s likely England will play in a more attacking fashion for this one with some changes, most notably bringing Mason Mount back in after missing the win over Germany.
Key Facts – England vs Ukraine Betting Tip
- England have yet to concede a goal in the competition, keeping four consecutive clean sheets
- Ukraine are a surprise quarter-finalists and playing at this stage for the first ever time
- The winners of this game will play either Denmark or Czech Republic for a place in the final
There may not be the entertainment you expect from this England team but they are effective, very hard to score against and have the difference-makers in attack. They’ve kept four clean sheets in as many games and I’m taking them to do so again and winning the match in 90 minutes.
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