Yaremchuk wonder strike gives Ukraine precious comeback victory over Slovakia

Ukraine produced a thrilling second-half comeback to beat Slovakia in Dusseldorf and keep their Euro 2024 campaign alive as Roman Yaremchuk came off the bench to score a wonderful late winner.

But Ukraine showed signs of life before the break when Oleksandr Tymchyk rattled the post, and Mykola Shaparenko found the equaliser early in the second half as the momentum shifted.

The decisive moment arrived with 10 minutes to go when Yaremchuk’s delightful cushioned touch and finish completed the comeback to send the yellow-clad supporters wild.

It leaves a wide-open Group E finely poised, with Ukraine, Slovakia and Romania all on three points and Belgium still on zero ahead of Saturday’s clash between Belgium and Romania.

Romania’s 3-0 drubbing of Ukraine was second only to Slovakia’s win over Belgium when it came to the biggest shocks in the first round of group games.

Serhiy Rebrov’s side had been picked by many as tournament dark horses because of their talent-packed squad, but in the opening match and the first half against Slovakia, they looked miles off the standards that had been expected.

That all changed in the second half in Dusseldorf, where a stirring comeback was fully deserved as Ukraine seized control of the game and piled pressure on a Slovakian side who had looked so slick during the early exchanges.

The result also puts Group E in a fascinating position. If Belgium beat Romania on Saturday, all four teams will be on three points. Get the popcorn out for the final round if that happens.

Trailing 1-0 and looking like they were about to head out of the tournament, Ukraine needed a hero.

Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Shaparenko probably was not the one they were expecting, but it was the 25-year-old who took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half, scoring a composed equaliser before providing the assist for Yaremchuk’s winner.

Slovakia: Dubravka 6, Pekarik 6, Vavro 6, Skriniar 6, Hancko 6, Kucka 6, Lobotka 7, Duda 6, Schranz 7, Bozenik 6, Haraslin 8

Subs: Benes 6, Strelec 6, Obert 6, Suslov 6, Sauer N/A

Ukraine: Trubin 7, Tymchyk 6, Zabaryni 6, Matviienko 6, Zinchenko 8, Brazhko 7, Shaparenko 8, Yarmolenko 6, Sudakov 7, Mudryk 7, Dovbyk 6

Subs: Zubkov 6, Yaremchuk 8, Malinovskyi N/A, Sydorchuk N/A, Talovierov N/A

18’ GOAL! SLOVAKIA 1-0 UKRAINE (Schranz)

It’s been coming! Schranz, the match-winner against Belgium, is the man on the scoresheet again as a cross is hooked to the back post, where he rises to nod a header in from close range. Slovakia continue to impress!

34’ UKRAINE HIT THE POST!

So close to an equaliser! It’s a superb move from Ukraine, starting with a cross-field pass to Yarmolenko, who tries a one-two with Dovbyk to get into the box, but it’s cut out. The ball comes back out to Tymchyk, but his daisy-cutter from an angle is fingertipped onto the foot of the post by Dubravka and after a bit of pinball Slovakia get it clear.

54’ GOAL! SLOVAKIA 1-1 UKRAINE (Shaparenko)

Mudryk leads another Ukraine break but his pass is behind Dovbyk and it slows everything down. Not that it matters – the striker holds the ball up and when it’s played back into the box from the left by Zinchenko, Shaparenko is there to cushion a finish in to the bottom corner. Game on!

75’ MUDRYK HITS THE POST!

Slovakia go on the attack, but Pekarik’s shot from the edge of the box is blocked and Ukraine can suddenly spark a two-on-one counter! Dovbyk’s pass for Mudryk is heavy though and pushes him wide, but the Chelsea winger’s shot comes off Dubravka’s knee and rattles the post before coming back out!

80’ GOAL! SLOVAKIA 1-2 UKRAINE (Yaremchuk)

They’ve done it! Shaparenko dinks a ball over the top for Yaremchuk to chase, and the big striker takes it down beautifully with his first touch before squeezing a finish past Dubravka. It’s bedlam on the touchline as the Ukrainian players spill onto the pitch in celebration!

• At 30 years and 282 days old, Ivan Schranz is the oldest player to score on his first two EURO appearances, overtaking Bulgaria’s Hristo Stoichkov who was 156 days younger when achieving the feat in 1996.