Ukraine 2-1 North Macedonia: Yellow and Blues’ first win at Euros since 2012

Ukraine got its first points at Euro 2020 today, scoring a 2:1 victory against North Macedonia in Bucharest. The Yellow and Blues started off dominant but ended the game shakily.

This is Ukraine’s first victory in the European Championship finals since its win over Sweden in Kyiv in 2012, when current Ukraine manager Andriy Shevchenko scored twice.

The Yellow and Blues produced an imperious display in the first half, with goals from Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk.

Yarmolenko scored first, a simple tap-in from point-blank range after a scrappy corner kick found its way to him through a crowd of players.

Five minutes later, Yarmolenko played a crafty through ball from the right to Yaremchuk, whose intelligent run left the Macedonian defenders several meters behind him, giving the striker plenty of time to slot the ball past opposition goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski.

Ukraine’s starting XI pose before the UEFA EURO 2020 Group C football match between Ukraine and North Macedonia at the National Arena in Bucharest on June 17, 2021.
Photo by AFP

North Macedonia’s goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski (R) dives to punch the ball during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group C football match between Ukraine and North Macedonia at the National Arena in Bucharest on June 17, 2021.
Photo by AFP

North Macedonia’s defender Stefan Ristovski (L) fights for the ball with Ukraine’s midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group C football match between Ukraine and North Macedonia at the National Arena in Bucharest on June 17, 2021.
Photo by AFP

Ukraine’s players celebrate after their team won the UEFA EURO 2020 Group B football match against North Macedonia on June 17, 2021.
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Ukraine’s forward Roman Yaremchuk (L) fights for the ball with North Macedonia’s defender Darko Velkovski (R) during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group C football match between Ukraine and North Macedonia at the National Arena in Bucharest on June 17, 2021.
Photo by AFP

Ukraine’s forward Andriy Yarmolenko (R) scores the opening goal past North Macedonia’s goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski (C) during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group C football match between Ukraine and North Macedonia at the National Arena in Bucharest on June 17, 2021.
Photo by AFP

North Macedonia’s forward Daniel Avramovski (R) fights for the ball with Ukraine’s defender Oleksandr Karavaev during the UEFA EURO 2020 Group C football match between Ukraine and North Macedonia at the National Arena in Bucharest on June 17, 2021.
Photo by AFP

Ukrainian supporters react as they watch the UEFA EURO 2020 Group C football match between the Ukraine and North Macedonia on a giant screen of the fanzone in Kiev on June 17, 2021.
Photo by AFP

Ukraine’s defender Oleksandr Zinchenko (R) and North Macedonia’s defender Ezgjan Alioski react after Ukraine won the UEFA EURO 2020 Group C football match between Ukraine and North Macedonia at the National Arena in Bucharest on June 17, 2021.
Photo by AFP

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However the Ukrainian players lost much of their drive after the break and allowed North Macedonia to get back into the game by giving away a frivolous penalty, which was duly converted by Ezgjan Alioski.

Ukraine later won a penalty of its own, but Ruslan Malinovskyi failed to put it past Dimitrievski.

Overall, Ukraine deserved the win, but there were moments in the second half where its opponents could have leveled the score.

Andrew Todos, a sports writer who attended the game, said that Ukraine “stepped off the gas and let North Macedonia into the game more.”

Todos believes that the Yellow and Blues made an error in not pushing harder for a third goal, which would have left their opponents no room for a comeback.

“The substitutions were made too early. They killed off Ukraine’s attacking intent with (Artem) Besedin in particular very underwhelming.”

Ukraine will now play Austria in the decisive final group stage game on June 21, also in Bucharest. The winner of this match will progress to the knockout phase along with likely group winner, the Netherlands. A draw would favor Austria unless it loses by more than two goals to the Dutch this evening.