untitled design

Ukraine team back on the pitch with victory over Gladbach in friendly

Oleksandr Pikhalionok scored the winning goal for Ukraine over Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany, 2-1, in a friendly on Wednesday (11). This was the first game for the national team since the country was invaded by Russia on 24 February.

The match at Borussia-Park was watched by over 20,000 fans, with the money going towards relief efforts in Ukraine. Players from both teams held up a “Stop War” sign before kick-off.

The clash also served as preparation for Ukraine ahead of the 2022 World Cup play-off semi-final against Scotland, which will be played on June 1. The winner will face Wales for a spot at the Qatar World Cup later this year.

Mykhaylo Mudryk opened the scoring in the 9th minute, giving Gladbach the lead, but Conor Noss equalized five minutes later, before Pikhalionok shot a low shot late to seal Ukraine’s victory.

The last match of the Ukrainian national team was the 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in November 2021.

Ukraine fielded only players from its national clubs as the Ukrainian football season ended last month due to the invasion.

“The first game… the team hadn’t played for six months, I didn’t work for six months. There are a lot of mistakes, let’s fix them,” said Ukrainian coach Oleksandr Petrakov.

Next, Ukraine will play friendlies against Empoli, from Italy, and Rijeka, from Croatia, before facing Scotland.

Source: CNN Brasil

You may also like

Get the latest

Stay Informed: Get the Latest Updates and Insights

 

Most popular