Bad looking after the EC premiere. Bad looking after the first half in the second game.
Then Ukraine turned around and defeated Slovakia 2–1.
A very important victory for the team and the country, says Ukrainian national team captain Serhiy Rebrov.
Ukraine’s European Championship opener against Romania was a big disappointment. Loss with 0–3 and weak interventions from the goalkeeper Andrij Lunin, everyday in Real Madrid.
For the second match of the group stage, against Slovakia in Düsseldorf, Lunin was replaced in goal by Anatolij Trubin – who saw the ball cross the goal line after 17 minutes. Lukas Haraslin swept away a cross that Ivan Schranz (hero of the match in the 1-0 win against Belgium) headed in.
A Slovak taste starter. But that happiness was not to be.
“Do not worry”
In the 54th minute, Ukraine equalized. Oleksandr Zintjenko played forward to Mykola Shaparenko who made it 1–1. With ten minutes left of regular time, the decision came. Shaparenko found Roman Jaremtyuk who received and poked in the match decider 2–1.
We understood that this was our chance and that’s what I said (at halftime). I said, don’t worry about the result and just keep going,” said Rebrov, according to the European Football Association’s (Uefa) website.
“Completely different attitude”
He thought the victory was well deserved.
We did poorly against Romania but showed a completely different attitude today and we deserved to win. Now we have to focus on the next game. But this was a very important victory for the team and the country, says Rebrov.
The victory means that both Ukraine and Slovakia now have three points and a relatively good chance of progressing to the playoffs.
Ukraine face Belgium in the final match while Slovakia take on Romania.