Sport

Ukraine defeats Albania and takes 2nd place in the League of Nations group

The national team of Ukraine defeated Albania in an away match of the League of Nations and took second place in the group. This is reported by Komersant ukrainskyi with reference to the Ukrainian Football Association.

The national team of Ukraine has completed its performance in the group stage of the 2024/2025 Nations League with an away match against Albania in Tirana.

Serhiy Rebrov’s team started the match very strongly and led 2-0 in the ninth minute.

The coaching staff of the national team of Ukraine made four changes compared to the previous match – Kalyuzhny, Hutsulyak, Zinchenko and Yaremchuk appeared in the starting lineup.

The blue and yellows started the match with a bang. In the 5th minute, Zinchenko opened the scoring, scoring on a header after Yaremchuk’s blocked shot. Zinchenko showed the whole world a T-shirt with the number 1000 on it – the number of days Ukraine has been defending its independence from Russia’s full-scale military aggression. In the 10th minute, Sudakov sent a free kick to the penalty area, Konoplya passed it to Yaremchuk, who doubled our team’s lead.

In the 25th minute, Lachy threatened Trubin’s goal, scoring near the post. Immediately, Sudakov responded with a shot from a distance into the box. Before the break, Mudryk had a good chance, but he missed the target after Zinchenko’s cross. The Albanians responded with a dangerous shot by Muci from a distance.

The second half began with an unsuccessful attempt by Uzuni, who found himself in front of Trubin’s goal, and a shot by Sudakov from outside the penalty area. Later, Sudakov took another shot at the ball, this time just off target. Later, the Albanians took the initiative, in particular, Ayeti forced Trubin to react with a shot from a distance.

In the 75th minute, the hosts reduced the deficit – Bayrami converted a penalty for Trubin’s foul on Uzun.

The blue and yellows kept the winning score – 2: 1, thanks to which they finished in second place in the quartet.

This means that our national team will play head-to-head matches with one of the teams that finished third in the League A groups (Scotland, Belgium, Hungary, Serbia).

The draw for this stage will take place on November 22, with the matches taking place on March 20 and 23, 2025. Ukraine will start the confrontation on its home turf.

It should be noted that in September, Serhiy Rebrov’s wards started the tournament with defeats against Albania (1-2) and the Czech Republic (2-3), after which they defeated Georgia (1-0) and drew with the Czech Republic (1-1) in October, and three days ago shared points with Georgia (1-1).

League of Nations 2024/2025. Group B1

round 6

Albania – Ukraine 1: 2 (0: 2)

Goals: Bayrami (75, from the penalty spot) – Zinchenko (5), Yaremchuk (10).

Albania: Strakosha, Balju, Ismaili (c), Ayeti, Mitaj, Asllani, Ramadani (Tuci, 76), Laxhi (Seferi, 90), Asani (Bayrami, 46), Daku (Uzuni, 46), Muchi (Hoxha, 51).

Substitutes: Castrati, Sherry, Hyusai, Mersinay, Michail, Mouya, Abrashi.

Coach: Silvigneau.

Ukraine: Trubin, Konoplya (Sych, 76), Zabarny, Matvienko (c), Mykolenko, Kalyuzhny, Hutsulyak (Nazarenko, 85), Zinchenko (Shaparenko, 69), Sudakov, Mudryk (Taloverov, 85), Yaremchuk (Dovbyk, 76).

Substitutes: Bushchan, Riznyk, Bondar, Brazhko, Kryskiv, Yarmolyuk, Zubkov.

Coach: Serhiy Rebrov.

Referee: João Pinheiro (Portugal).

Warned: Bayrami (69), Mithai (79), Tutsi (80) – Dovbyk (80).

november 19. Tirana. Air Albania Stadium.

Czech Republic – Georgia – 2: 1 (2: 0)

Final table