Slovakia vs Ukraine EURO 2024 Group E Matchday 2 preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, possible line-ups

Slovakia and Ukraine meet in their second matches of UEFA EURO 2024 in Group E on Friday 21 June.

Where to watch Slovakia vs Ukraine on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA EURO 2024 broadcast partner(s) here.

What do you need to know?

The mood is immensely positive in the Slovakia camp after the 1-0 win over Belgium in their opening Group E fixture, Francesco Calzona's side making the most of Ivan Schranz's goal after just seven minutes despite intense pressure. A second victory would take Slovakia a further step towards the round of 16 – potentially making this their best campaign since EURO 2016. Vindication for a team that pride themselves on their ability to fight above their weight.

By contrast, Ukraine had a very frustrating game, losing 3-0 to Romania in a match in which they could not turn possession (66% of it according to the official stats) into goals. Coach Serhiy Rebrov was disappointed, but in an evenly-matched section, his players will not be giving into despair just yet. Past results suggest a close encounter: in eight meetings so far there have been two Slovakia wins and three for Ukraine with three draws. A share of the points in Düsseldorf would certainly suit one team more than the other.

Possible line-ups

Slovakia: Dúbravka; Pekarík, Vavro, Škriniar, Hancko; Kucka, Lobotka, Duda; Schranz/Suslov), Boženík, Haraslín

Ukraine: Trubin; Konoplia, Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Zinchenko; Shaparenko, Brazhko, Sudakov; Tsygankov, Dovbyk, Mudryk

Form guide

Slovakia:
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WWWDLW

Ukraine:
Form (all competitions, most recent first): LWLDWW

Expert predictions

Rastislav Hribik, Slovakia reporter

Do not repeat the same mistake of the last EURO is the motto for Slovakia before their second game of this tournament. In 2021, two defeats followed an opening-day victory and it was all over. This time everybody believes the players will show a different approach with a different result. The Slovaks have won only two out of eight matches against Ukraine, but there is a strong belief in the squad that this game will go differently, especially after those three unexpected points against Belgium.

Bogdan Buga, Ukraine reporter

After the shocking defeat to Romania, Ukraine need to recover their morale above all. Serhiy Rebrov may have to overhaul his lineup to inject more pace and sharpness into the team's play; might he even change formation to 3-4-3? Young Volodymyr Brazhko could be a game-changer, offering greater versatility as a defensive midfielder compared with the seasoned Taras Stepanenko. In goal, Andriy Lunin may step aside for Anatoliy Trubin, but the unresolved issue at left-back persists with Vitaliy Mykolenko's ongoing recovery.

What the coaches say

Francesco Calzona, Slovakia coach: "Our greatest strength is humility. We have to give 110% because we're a small nation and we want to put a smile on the faces of our fans. The euphoria [after beating Belgium] lasted a few hours, but three points will definitely not be enough to go through. There is no reason to celebrate yet. We are fully focused on this match."

Serhiy Rebrov, Ukraine coach: "I've always considered Slovakia a strong team. They have players who play for good clubs. When I analysed them, I saw they were very disciplined. They won against Belgium in great style. We have lots of respect for them. After our loss [against Romania], we analysed the match. Everyone understands their mistakes. They know they must go on the pitch with more spirit and desire. I really expect a good game because the last one was a cold shower."