Played
June 11, 2012 2:45 PM EDT
NSK Olimpijs'kyj — Kyiv (Kiev)
Referee: C. Çakιr
Attendance: 64290
June 11, 2012 2:45 PM EDT
NSK Olimpijs'kyj — Kyiv (Kiev)
Referee: C. Çakιr
Attendance: 64290
Euro 2012 Preview: Ukraine - Sweden
Blokhin's side has recovered from a wave of food poisoning that took ill a large number of the squad, and the Swedes head into the tie on the back of four victories in a row.
By John Stammers
Getty Images
| PROBABLE LINEUPS |
|
Ukraine
 Pyatov Husyev, Khacheridi, Mykhalik, Selin Timoschchuk, Nazarenko, Konoplyanka, Yarmolenko Devic, Voronin |
Sweden
 Isaksson Lustig, Melberg, Olsson, Granqvist Elm, Svensson, Kallstrom, Larsson Toivonen Ibrahimovic |
Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin has confirmed that the number of his players that were taken ill with food poisoning before the warm-up loss to Turkey have made a full recovery in time to face their Swedish opponents.
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk and Andriy Voronin are thus likely to return to the starting lineup, while the Ukraine boss will also make several other changes all over the pitch. Star striker Andriy Shevchenko could be forced to start on the bench as he has struggled to find full fitness of late.
Sweden has a clean bill of health after Johan Elmander recovered from a foot injury to take part in training during the week. As such, Erik Hamren will have to make a decision on who to partner big-name striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic with.
Ola Toivonen scored and impressed against Serbia in the final warm-up game so expect him to get the nod over Elmander and play just behind the AC Milan forward, with Markus Rosenberg as another option on the bench, meaning the visitor would be unchanged from that 2-1 victory.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
This is Ukraine's first-ever appearance in the European Championship, making it the only debutant, with the World Cup in 2006 its only major finals.
- As co-host it will have the crowd behind them, but Blokhin's men have lost four of their last eight home outings.
- After Poland's 1-1 draw with Greece, none of the last eight hosts have won their opening games at the Euros.
- The Ukrainians are yet to find the back of the net in open play at a major tournament finals.
- Ukraine boss Blokhin scored against their Group D opponents in a friendly game for the Soviet Union in 1982.
- Sweden comes into the clash having won its last four friendlies, and winning eight out of 10 qualifiers.
- Since their semifinal appearance when hosting the tournament in 1992, the Swedes have managed just two wins from 10 games.
- AC Milan forward Ibrahimovic (pictured right) has netted in his last three matches for his country.
- Hamren's men scored in all 10 games in their qualifying campaign, bagging more than one goal in eight of them.
- Each side have one victory from the previous three meetings between the two, with the other match being drawn.
Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
-
Ukraine 1-2 Sweden
- 18.57 %
-
Ukraine 0-2 Sweden
- 15.32 %
-
Ukraine 0-1 Sweden
- 9.31 %
| European Championship Qualification 2012 (EC) | Jun 11, 2012 | Ukraine 2 - Sweden 1 |
|
| International Friendlies (FR) | Aug 10, 2011 | Ukraine 0 - Sweden 1 |
|
| International Friendlies (FR) | Jun 1, 2008 | Sweden 0 - Ukraine 0 |
|
| International Friendlies (FR) | Jun 1, 2008 | Sweden 0 - Ukraine 1 |
|
Ukraine
    |
||
| Mar 26, 2013 | Ukraine 2 - Moldova 1 | WCQE |
| Mar 22, 2013 | Poland 1 - Ukraine 3 | WCQE |
| Nov 14, 2012 | Bulgaria 0 - Ukraine 1 | FR |
| Oct 16, 2012 | Ukraine 0 - Montenegro 1 | WCQE |
| Oct 12, 2012 | Moldova 0 - Ukraine 0 | WCQE |
Sweden
 |
||
| Mar 26, 2013 | Slovakia 0 - Sweden 0 | FR |
| Mar 22, 2013 | Sweden 0 - Ireland Republic 0 | WCQE |
| Feb 6, 2013 | Sweden 2 - Argentina 3 | FR |
| Jan 26, 2013 | Sweden 3 - Finland 0 | FR |
| Jan 23, 2013 | Sweden 1 - Korea DPR (PRK) 1 | FR |
| 12 | Andriy Pyatov | Goalkeeper |
| 2 | Yevhen Selin | Defender |
| 3 | Yevhen Khacheridi | Defender |
| 17 | Taras Mykhalyk | Defender |
| 4 | Anatoliy Tymoshchuk | Midfielder |
| 9 | Oleh Husyev | Midfielder |
| 18 | Serhiy Nazarenko | Midfielder |
| 19 | Yevhen Konoplyanka | Midfielder |
| - | Andriy Shevchenko | |
| - | Andriy Voronin | |
| 11 | Andriy Yarmolenko | Striker |
| 1 | Maksym Koval | Goalkeeper |
| 23 | Oleksandr Horyainov | Goalkeeper |
| 5 | Olexandr Kucher | Defender |
| 13 | Vyacheslav Shevchuk | Defender |
| - | Yaroslav Rakytskyy | Defender |
| 21 | Bohdan Butko | Defender |
| 6 | Denys Garmash | Midfielder |
| - | Oleksandr Aliyev | |
| 14 | Ruslan Rotan | Midfielder |
| 15 | Artem Milevsky | Striker |
| 16 | Yevhen Seleznyov | Striker |
| 22 | Marko Devic | Striker |
| 1 | Andreas Isaksson | Goalkeeper |
| 2 | M. Lustig | Defender |
| - | Olof Mellberg | |
| 4 | Andreas Granqvist | Defender |
| 5 | Martin Olsson | Defender |
| 6 | Rasmus Elm | Midfielder |
| 7 | Sebastian Larsson | Midfielder |
| 9 | Kim Källström | Midfielder |
| 10 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Striker |
| 20 | Ola Toivonen | Striker |
| - | Markus Rosenberg | |
| 12 | Johan Wiland | Midfielder |
| 23 | Pär Hansson | Goalkeeper |
| 13 | Jonas Olsson | Defender |
| 15 | Mikael Antonsson | Defender |
| 17 | Behrang Safari | Defender |
| 8 | Anders Svensson | Midfielder |
| 16 | Pontus Wernbloom | Midfielder |
| 18 | Samuel Holmen | Midfielder |
| - | Emir Bajrami | |
| - | Christian Wilhelmsson | |
| 11 | Johan Elmander | Striker |
| 14 | Tobias Hysen | Striker |
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Fernando Torres Striker Chelsea |
3 | 0 |
|
Cristiano Ronaldo Striker Real Madrid |
3 | 0 |
|
Mario Gomez Striker FC Bayern München |
3 | 0 |
|
Mario Balotelli Striker Milan |
3 | 0 |
|
Mario Mandzukic Striker FC Bayern München |
3 | 0 |
