Ukraine's national football team secures its first UEFA Nations League victory
Photo: REUTERS / Kacper Pempel
In Poznań, Poland, Ukraine's national football team faced off against Georgia in the third round of the UEFA Nations League. The Ukrainian team secured their first victory with a narrow 1-0 win over their rivals.
Rubryka reports, citing Suspilne Sport, that the Ukrainian lineup saw significant changes before the match:
- Eight players were unable to join the national team due to injuries.
- However, three new players debuted for Ukraine, including Ivan Kaliuzhnyi, who started the game against Georgia.
Ukraine vs. Georgia match highlights
The match started with a slight hiccup due to lighting issues above the guest section, causing an eight-minute delay. Despite the disruption, both teams were determined to fight for victory.
Ukraine applied pressure right from the start. By the 9th minute, Heorhii Sudakov took a shot at the goal, but the ball sailed past the left post.
Photo: Ukrainian Association of Football
In the 35th minute, Ukraine's coach Serhii Rebrov's team finally broke the deadlock. Mykhailo Mudryk cut in from the left wing, dodging three Georgian defenders, and fired a low shot into the bottom left corner from outside the box.
In the second half, Mudryk came close to scoring again. Still, Georgia's star goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili, made an impressive diving save, proving why he's considered one of the best in the world.
In the 78th minute, Maksym Taloverov received a yellow card, giving Georgia a free-kick from the edge of the penalty area. The ball hit the defensive wall, and Ukraine's goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin made a critical save on the rebound.
Towards the end of the match, Ukraine narrowly avoided a setback when Davitashvili found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled offside.
Late in the game, two more Ukrainian players made their national team debuts:
- Oleksandr Nazarenko replaced Mudryk.
- Dmytro Kryskiv came on for fellow debutant Ivan Kaliuzhnyi.
Although Ukraine earned its first three points, it remains at the bottom of the group standings. Georgia and the Czech Republic have six points, while Ukraine and Albania are tied with three.
In the next Nations League round, Ukraine will face the Czech Republic at home, while Georgia will host Albania. Both matches will take place on October 14.
To recap, Ukraine's futsal team recently claimed third place at the World Cup, thrashing France. This marked the first time in history that Ukraine secured a bronze medal in the tournament.
A unique football championship for people with the same surname took place in the village of Yosypovychi in Ukraine's western Lviv region, organized by local football veteran Vasyl Levko.
