Ukraine take aim at Northern Ireland
Friday, January 1, 2016
Article summary
Ukraine have yet to lose in four meetings with Northern Ireland and will hope to get points on the board as the teams meet in UEFA EURO 2016 Group C.
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Article body
Ukraine can feel confident as they take on UEFA EURO 2016 Group C opponents Northern Ireland for a fifth time.
Previous meetings
• Ukraine's record in four games against Northern Ireland is W2 D2.
• Both previous UEFA European Championship matches between the countries – in qualification for the 2004 tournament – ended goalless.
• In the teams' only other meetings, Ukraine did the double over Northern Ireland in 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying. The winning goals came from Serhiy Rebrov in Belfast (1-0) and Andriy Shevchenko in Kyiv (2-1).
• Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill came off the bench in that first game against Ukraine.
• Iain Dowie's strike 14 minutes into the return fixture remains the only Northern Irish goal in four games against Ukraine.
EURO facts – Ukraine
• Ukraine are featuring at their second EURO. They co-hosted UEFA EURO 2012 but qualified this time round via a play-off success against Slovenia.
• Ukraine's biggest international success to date is making it to the quarter-finals of their only World Cup, in Germany in 2006.
• Two Ukrainian clubs have played at the Stade de Gerland, with both losing 1-0 to Lyon – Dynamo Kyiv in the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League group stage and Chornomorets Odesa in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League round of 32.
EURO facts – Northern Ireland
• Northern Ireland are competing at their first EURO. They have not played at a major final tournament since bowing out of the 1986 World Cup at the group stage.
• Northern Ireland's greatest achievement to date is reaching the last eight of the 1958 World Cup finals, where they lost 4-0 to France in Norrkoping, Sweden.
Coach and player links
• The Ukrainian side has won all eight meetings between the nations' clubs in UEFA competition. Most recently, Vorksla Poltava defeated Glentoran 5-0 in 2011/12 UEFA Europa League qualifying.
• Northern Ireland captain Steven Davis and Ukraine counterpart Anatoliy Tymoshchuk met in the 2008 UEFA Cup final in Manchester, when Tymoshchuk's Zenit side overcame Davis's Rangers 2-0.