Ukraine came to within three points of frontrunners Spain and Slovakia in Group C of their 2016 European soccer championship qualifiers after taking down Belarus 3-1 on Sept. 12.
Spain and Slovakia are tied for first in the section with 18
points. Should the top two finish level – after the last three qualification
rounds – Spain would have the edge given its superior head-to-head record.
Ukraine at least secured a playoff spot. The nine
group winners and nine runners-up along with the best third-placed side qualify
directly for the soccer tournament in France next year, according to UEFA,
Europe’s top soccer governing body that administers the competition. The eight
remaining third-placed teams will contest playoffs in November to determine the
last four final spots.
Croatia is currently the best third-placed team at 15
points with a positive goal differential of 11, but has played one more game
than Ukraine. Ukraine, after seven matches, has scored 12 goals while ceding 3
giving it a differential of nine.
Ukraine has the most difficult schedule remaining when
compared to Spain and Slovakia. The blue-and-yellows play Slovakia and Macedonia
away on Sept. 8 and Oct. 9, respectively, before meeting Spain at home for the
final qualification fixture on Oct. 12.
Apart from its Ukraine fixture Spain plays Luxembourg
and Macedonia, while Slovakia must face Belarus and Macedonia.
Midfielder Denys Harmash will miss the
Slovakia match because of a red card he received in the previous match. He most
likely will be replaced by 22-year-old Ruslan Malinovsky of Zorya Luhansk.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old Shakhtar Donetsk
midfielder re-joined the national squad ahead of the Slovakia fixture after
playing for the Under-21 team in a qualifier against Macedonia over the
weekend. Ukraine lost 1-0 in Skopje on Sept. 5.
Kyiv Post editor Mark Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].
