- Goals from Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk give Ukraine a narrow win over North Macedonia
- Leeds United defender Ezgjan Alioski got one goal back for North Macedonia from a rebounded penalty
Ukraine bounces back with a 2-1 win over North Macedonia.
Andriy Shevchenko’s side rebounded from their late heartbreak against the Netherlands on matchday one.
Both sides were looking to attack right from the start with Ukraine dominating possession throughout the first period.
Albeit from a 29th-minute corner kick, the first goal reflected the evident gulf between the sides, with a defensively ponderous North Macedonia allowing Oleksandr Karavayev to produce a wonderful back-heeled flick across the face of the goal, and it was Yarmolenko who had the freedom of the six-yard box to tap home the opener.
A second goal came just five minutes later, as a first-time pass from Oleksandr Zinchenko sent Roman Yaremchuk through on goal. He showed excellent composure to draw the keeper out, before tucking the ball home at the near post.
North Macedonia rallied in the second half and had their push rewarded with a penalty after Goran Pandev was brought down in the area.
The Ukrainian keeper Heorhiy Bushchan did well to save Ezgjan’s Alioski’s powerful penalty, but he could only parry it back to the taker to volley it in.
Ukraine had the perfect chance to avoid a nervous finish, when a penalty was awarded for a handball, but Stole Dimitrievski guessed right and pushed Ruslan Malinovskyi’s well-struck penalty away.
Ukraine meet Austria and North Macedonia face the Netherlands in the final round of Group C games, with both matches taking place on Monday.
