Ukraine V Lithuania
Friday 11 October 2019 – 19:45 Kick-Off
UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying
Pick: Ukraine & Over 2.5 Goals
Odds: 1/2
Bookmaker: Coral
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/25 | 11/1 | 69/4 |
* (All betting odds displayed were correct as of 9 October 2019 at 00:00)
Preview: Top meets bottom in Group B. Ukraine have been in tremendous form so far, winning four out of five to top the section by five points. They will be supremely confident about a sixth win here, up against a Lithuania team that has been beaten in all but one of their five qualifiers. The Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv, Ukraine will host a fixture expected to be dominated by the hosts.
UEFA Euro 2020 Betting – 22Bet
Ukraine Preview – Group leaders to show no mercy?
Results in Group B: Portugal 0-0 (A), Luxembourg 1-2 (A), Serbia 5-0 (H), Luxembourg 1-0 (H), Lithuania 0-3 (A)
The foundations for a successful Euro 2020 Qualifying campaign have already been laid by winning four of their five qualifiers thus far. All that remains is to apply the finishing touches, beginning with what should be a routine victory over the weakest opposition on show in this group. Then follows a crunch meeting with Portugal in Kiev, with the reigning European champions the only side to have taken points off Ukraine in a 0-0 draw in Kiev.
Since opening with a draw, it has been nothing but W’s for Andriy Shevchenko, the country’s leading all-time scorer and now national team head coach. That is four straight victories. In addition, no team in their section has scored more (11) or conceded fewer (1), with the majority coming in one game – a 5-0 demolition of Serbia at home. That was one of five wins in a seven-game unbeaten run that the country are currently enjoying on home turf.
There is the very real prospect of Ukraine going even bigger here. Lithuania are bottom of the group and were comfortably dispatched 3-0 in the reverse encounter. Back in Kiev, where their form has been imperious in recent times, Shevchenko will demand another ruthless performance. Doing so with a clean sheet would be an added bonus: each of their last four home victories were ‘to nil’, while Ukraine have not conceded in their previous three meetings against the Lithuanians (W2 D1).
Lithuania Preview – Another heavy loss inevitable?
Results in Group B: Lithuania 2-1 (A), Luxembourg 1-1 (H), Serbia 4-1 (A), Ukraine 0-3 (H), Portugal 1-5 (H)
Comfortably ranked the lowest in the group, it was always to be expected that Lithuania would struggle in a strong section containing several countries with previous tournament experience. Some of the results have been emphatic, though, contributing to a goal difference of -11, as a team ranked a lowly 131 in the FIFA Rankings slumped to four defeats in their first five qualifiers.
Their only moment of respite would come at home to Luxembourg in the shape of a 1-1 draw. That result aside, it has been a painful campaign. Heavy losses inflicted by Serbia (4-1) and Portugal (1-5) actually make the 3-0 loss at home to Ukraine seem comparatively modest, with some credit due for at least persevering enough to score a consolation goal against the former two.
That could well be the limit of their aspirations here: somehow scoring a goal. That is because a truly woeful recent record of no win in their last twelve matches (D2 L10) renders the likelihood of any potential upset improbable, with five of the previous six away contests all ending in defeat. They have, however, managed to score in three of the last four away from home, albeit all were in losing efforts.
Ukraine V Lithuania Key Facts:
- Ukraine are unbeaten in seven matches at home in all competitions (W5 D2).
- Lithuania have gone their past twelve matches without managing to record a win (D2 L10).
- The last three meetings between these two nations has seen Ukraine keep a clean sheet.
Betting Summary
There is a chasm between Ukraine and Lithuania at present, which was borne our in their earlier meeting – a comfortable 3-0 outing in Vilnius for Ukraine. The latter are the ones setting the pace in this group, with four wins from five, and have not been beaten at home in any competition in their last seven (W5 D2). It would be a monumental shock were that not to become eight against the whipping boys of this group, Lithuania.
Ukraine have kept a clean sheet on each of the last four occasion they were victorious on home soil, which enhances any prospect of a ‘win to nil’. However, Lithuania would score a consolation in defeats to both Serbia and Portugal. Therefore a better alternative, at more lucrative odds, could be Ukraine Win & Both Teams to Score at 11/4 with Boylesports. Regardless, the hosts should be several goals too good.
