June 21, (THEWILL) – Ukraine snatched a crucial 2-1 victory against Slovakia on Friday, in a thrilling Euro 2024 encounter that revived their chances of progressing to the knockout stages. Roman Yaremchuk emerged as the hero, scoring the winning goal just 10 minutes from full-time.
The match began with Slovakia dominating the early proceedings. Ivan Schranz opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a well-executed header from Lukas Haraslin’s cross, notching his second goal of the tournament. Ukraine, however, refused to bow down, with Oleksandr Tymchyk hitting the post shortly after the half-hour mark.
Ukraine’s persistence paid off in the 54th minute when Mykola Shaparenko equalised, capitalising on Oleksandr Zinchenko’s cross. The team maintained their momentum throughout the second half, culminating in Yaremchuk’s decisive goal. The striker latched onto a precise pass from Shaparenko, deftly guiding the ball past goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
This victory marks a significant turnaround for Ukraine, who had suffered a 3-0 defeat against Romania in their previous match. Manager Serhiy Rebrov made five changes to the starting lineup, including the introduction of winger Andriy Yarmolenko and goalkeeper Antoliy Trubin, both of whom played pivotal roles in the win.
The result keeps Ukraine’s Euro 2024 campaign alive while denying Slovakia an early qualification for the knockout phase. As the tournament progresses, this hard-fought victory could prove to be a turning point for the resilient Ukrainian team.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
