Ukraine host England at the Tarczynski Arena in Wrocław on Saturday evening as the qualification for Euro 2024 picks back up where it left off in June.
The two nations come into this one with hopes of qualification very much a reality, with England sitting pretty in first, and Ukraine in second in qualification Group C.
Here, we’ll preview this match up and provide you with some tips that we hope will land you some big returns.
Read on to find out more…
Runaway leaders
Euro 2020 finalists England have made light work of qualifying so far, with a perfect four wins from four games. That 12 point tally sees them sitting six points ahead of second-placed Ukraine as the two go head to head in Poland this weekend.
The group’s runaway leaders need only a couple more wins to secure their place at next summer’s Euros in Germany. Gareth Southgate will want those wins sooner rather than later and will have the Ukrainians firmly in his sights.
History
In terms of the previous meetings between these two nations, history is not on the side of the hosts here. From their nine meetings since the year 2000, Ukraine have won just one, with two games ending all square and England winning the other six.
The most recent of those clashes came back in March of this year in the first of the two legs in this qualifying group. In an entertaining encounter at Wembley, the Three Lions swept away their opponents and were much better value than the eventual 2-0 scoreliine showed. A similar performance and some more clinical finishing could see a big win for the visitors.
Plenty of heart
One thing they will find about their hosts is that they are a nation, and a team, with plenty of heart and plenty of pride. That is clear in the way they play and they will not just be there to make up the numbers come Saturday. The Ukrainians will want to put on a solid show, for their war-torn home nation, and for their tens of thousands of compatriots who now call England home.
Like the clash in London, however, this is likely to be an exercise in damage control for Ukraine. If they play smart and can keep the score down here, with a view to picking up points further down the campaign trail, they could be in with a great shout of qualifying from the group.
Kane and able
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane has hit the ground running in Germany following his high profile switch from Tottenham in the summer. The forward has continued to bang in the goals and will no doubt be looking to extend his lead at the top of the all-time England goal scoring charts.
He bagged a goal in the reverse fixture earlier this year and that will only fill him with more confidence heading into this game.
Suggested bets
- Harry Kane to Score First
- England -2 Handicap
- 0-4 Correct Score
