Euro-2025 (U-21): the youth national team of Ukraine suffered its first defeat in the qualifying tournament in England

U-21 Euro 2025 Qualifying: England vs. Ukraine – A Tale of Last-Minute Drama!

Date: 11.10.2024

Oh, what a match we had today, folks! The youth national team of Ukraine took on the seemingly invincible team of England in their latest adventure in the Euro-2025 qualifying tournament for U-21s. With the Ukrainians winning all eight of their previous matches, excitement brimming, one couldn’t help but wonder if they were about to face their greatest challenge yet in the sunny shores of Bournemouth.

As they marched onto the hallowed grounds of Dean Court, we could almost hear the collective British roar in anticipation. I mean, who needs a cup of tea when you’ve got the adrenaline of youth football coursing through your veins? The first half was more of a ‘British tea party’ for the English, who seemed to do everything but put the ball in the net. Seven shots! That’s right, seven! However, only one was actually on target. Kind of like the British weather—lots of build-up, very little payoff!

Giroud-Hutchinson was cutting through the Ukrainian defense like a hot knife through butter—just ask their keeper, Nescheret, who had his work cut out for him! I mean, if this was a once-in-a-lifetime boxing match, I’d say the Ukrainians stepped into the ring feeling a bit like “Rocky” before he met Apollo.

But wait, don’t count the Ukrainians out just yet! They came out for the second half with a newfound ferocity. It’s like they were injected with a shot of espresso—“Let’s go attack mode!” And while they were firing shots—no, not shots of vodka—near the English goal, the opponent’s defense suddenly seemed to be… shall we say, “a bit wobbly,” unlike their highly advanced tea kettle technology!

And then, the magic happened!

In the 71st minute, the crowd was left gasping as Mihavko found the net with a brilliant header from a corner kick by Ocheretko. And there it was—a hint of Ukrainian jubilation under the British sun! Could this be the stunning upset everyone had been waiting to see?

But football is a fickle mistress. Just when you thought the Ukrainians had it in the bag—enter Makety for England, who decided to play the role of the hero. Two strikes in two minutes that would make any writer swoon! In the 88th minute, a stunning free-kick restored parity—and trust me, I wouldn’t want to be the Ukrainian goalkeeper who had to watch that one go in!

Then, in injury time, Makety struck again, sealing the victory for England and leaving Ukrainian hearts shattered like glass—a true last-minute thriller. All said and done, it was 2:1 to England, pouring a bucket of tears over Ukraine’s first defeat in group F. But hey, on a brighter note, their ticket to the final tournament still stands valid! Maybe it’s not all doom and gloom; they’re off to Bratislava after all!

Match Summary:

In what turned out to be a battle of wits, strategy, and a bit of last-second luck, England U-21 triumphed over Ukraine U-21 with a final score of 2:1. Here’s how it went down:

Goals:

– Makety (88′, 90+2′) – England
– Mihavko (71′) – Ukraine

Match Details:

– Venue: Dean Court, Bournemouth
– Referee: Joachim Estling (Sweden)

How the Table Shakes Out

Despite the loss, Ukraine remains in a solid position in the standings. Winning eight out of nine matches will keep anyone’s spirits up—even if you took an L today! The draw for the final tournament will unfold on December 3, and I reckon it’ll be one heck of a spectacle.

So there you have it, dear readers! Drama, heartbreak, a touch of drama, and a parade of teenage athletes. Can’t wait to see how it all plays out in December. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to brew a cup of tea and reflect on what just happened!

11.10.2024 23:39

Today the youth national team of Ukraine held its next match in the Euro-2025 qualifying tournament (U-21) — against the team of England

Before this meeting, Unai Melgosa’s wards won eight games in eight matches. Today in Bournemouth at the “Dean Court” stadium they faced the most formidable opponents in the group – the English.

In the first half, the home team had a complete advantage – they hit Nescheret’s goal with seven shots (one on target), and ours did not manage to respond with a single one. Ben Futcher’s men created three very dangerous chances, with Giroud-Hutchinson the biggest threat. His strikes in the 16th and 45th minutes were just a little off the mark. In one more case, after a shot by Makati, our goalkeeper saved.

After the break, the Ukrainians clearly increased their attack, and moments began to arise already near the goal of both teams. Opponents responded to Voloshyn’s shot with chances for Makeati and Filodzhin. And in the 71st minute, Unai Melgosa’s wards took the lead. Ocheretko delivered a corner kick to the far post, and Mihavko played a great header.

However, the British were not only able to win back. In the 88th minute, Makety perfectly executed a free kick and restored the balance, and in the second compensated minute, he made a double and brought victory to his team — 2:1. Thus, the U-21 national team of Ukraine suffered its first defeat in the selection group F, despite this, it has a ticket to the final tournament. The draw will take place on December 3 in Bratislava.

Euro-2025 (U-21). Qualification tournament. Group F

England (U-21) — Ukraine (U-21) — 2:1 (0:0)

Naked: Makety (88, 90+2) — Mihavko (71).

England (U-21): Trafford, Gray (Rogers, 63), Harwood-Bellis, Quonsa, Hall, Philodgin (Ayling-Junior, 84), McAtee, Morton (Anderson, 78), Hinshelwood (Scarlett, 84), Giroud-Hutchinson (Gittens, 64) , Delap.

Ukraine (U-21): Nescheret, Vyvcharenko, Mykhavko, Melnychenko, Krupsky (Bragaru, 46), Yarmolyuk, Fedor (Yatsyk, 72), Ocheretko, Khlan (Smolyakov, 56), Krasnopir (Gorbach, 56), Voloshyn (Kvasnytsia, 84).

Arbitrator: Joachim Estling (Sweden).

Warned: Gray (55), Philodzhin (56), Hall (89) — Khlan (26).

October 11. Bournemouth. Dean Court Stadium.

Tournament table

Team
I
IN
N
P
M
O

1
Ukraine
9 8 0 1 20—6 24 2 England 9 7 1 1 34—6 22 3 Serbia 9 4 1 4 12—18 13 4 Luxembourg 9 2 1 6 6—23 7 5 Northern Ireland 8 2 1 5 5—10 7 6 Azerbaijan 8 1 0 7 4—18 3

Euro-2025 (U-21). Qualification tournament. Group F

07.09.2023

Northern Ireland – Luxembourg – 0:1

11.09.2023

Luxembourg — England — 0:3

12.09.2023

Ukraine — Northern Ireland — 1:0

Serbia — Azerbaijan — 2:0

12.10.2023

Azerbaijan — Northern Ireland — 0:1

Luxembourg – Ukraine — 0:3

England — Serbia — 9:1

16.10.2023

Ukraine — England — 3:2

Northern Ireland — Serbia — 1:2

17.10.2023

Azerbaijan – Luxembourg – 3:2

17.11.2023

Ukraine — Luxembourg — 4:0

18.11.2023

Serbia – England – 0:3

21.11.2023

Ukraine — Azerbaijan — 1:0

Serbia – Luxembourg – 2:0

England – Northern Ireland – 3:0

22.03.2024

Azerbaijan — England — 1:5

Luxembourg — Serbia — 1:1

26.03.2024

Azerbaijan – Ukraine — 0:3

Serbia – Northern Ireland – 1:2

England – Luxembourg – 7:0

06.09.2024

Ukraine – Serbia – 2:1

Luxembourg – Azerbaijan – 2:0

Northern Ireland – England – 0:0

10.09.2024

Azerbaijan — Serbia — 0:2

Northern Ireland — Ukraine — 1:2

11.10.2024

England — Ukraine — 2:1

12.10.2024

Northern Ireland — Azerbaijan

15.10.2024

Luxembourg — Northern Ireland

Serbia — Ukraine

England — Azerbaijan

Play-offs: November 11-19, 2024.

The final part of Euro 2025 (U-21) will feature 16 teams: Slovakia and 15 more national teams that will join it based on the selection results (nine group winners, three best teams among runners-up and three play-off winners, in which will be played by six runners-up).