Ukraine 0-0 Belgium analysis: How Red Devils were pushed all the way
Thursday, June 27, 2024
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UEFA technical observer David Moyes takes a look at Ukraine's approach in the EURO 2024 draw against Belgium.
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Ukraine exited EURO 2024 with an unwanted milestone as the first team ever eliminated at the group stage of a UEFA European Championship despite a haul of four points. Yet they pushed Belgium hard in the sides' goalless encounter on the final evening of group action on Wednesday.
According to UEFA technical observer David Moyes, a prominent factor in the trouble they caused Belgium in Stuttgart was the ability of attacking midfielders Mykola Shaparenko and Georgiy Sudakov to find space between the lines.
In the video below, we see Ukraine in the build-up phase with a 3-5-2 with Shaparenko and Sudakov highlighted in advanced positions in midfield. As the first half progressed, that pair began to find space behind and around Belgium midfielders Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana and clip one offers a clear example as Shaparenko sets up a shooting chance for Roman Yaremchuk.
As the sequence unfolds, we see Tielemans push up on the right centre-back Ilia Zabarnyi – a decision which leaves Onana on his own against Shaparenko and Sudakov. With Onana getting tight to Sudakov, left-sided centre-back Mykola Matviyenko is able to find Shaparenko free in the centre circle from where he advances to supply Yaremchuk for the shot.
In the second clip, we see Shaparenko and Sudakov again working either side of Onana. With his blindside run, Shaparenko gets into space to collect another line-breaking pass by Matviyenko. Effectively Ukraine now have a 3v2 overload centrally in the final third and Shaparenko – with one of his six line-breaking passes – slips the ball through for Yaremchuk, breaking between Wout Faes and Timothy Castagne. Rather than shoot, however, he attempts a ball across goal which narrowly evades Artem Dovbyk.
Overall, it was Matviyenko who produced the most line-breaking passes (11) for Ukraine, with fellow defender Zabarnyi contributing eight. "The right centre-back Zabarnyi made a couple of very good passes through the lines," said Moyes. As for the men they were picking out in the pockets, Shaparenko received six passes between the lines and Sudakov ten – more than any other player on the pitch.
Mindful of the influence of Player of the Match Kevin De Bruyne, source of four key passes for the Red Devils, Moyes added: "Belgium still probably had the bigger threat because of De Bruyne. However, Ukraine had a couple of really good chances but didn't produce the finish."
From a Belgian perspective, coach Domenico Tedesco said that in the first 20 minutes his side "tried to press high, we closed them down, we won many second balls." De Bruyne elaborated on Belgium's subsequent difficulties when he said: "In the beginning, the pressing was good, but afterwards, we didn't always manage to get through the midfield."
The Belgium captain added that "it was very hard for us to press, but we changed in the second half and then things were better". According to UEFA's performance analysis unit, that improvement came with the Belgium midfielders covering Ukraine's attacking midfielders more effectively.
The eventual goalless outcome was not enough for Ukraine whose coach, Serhiy Rebrov, reflected: "Unfortunately, we didn't qualify because of the first game, which we lost to Romania. I'm grateful for how the players responded against Slovakia [winning 2-1]. We showed that we were trying to win this game, and there were enough good moments. In the last two games, there are no questions about the work and the character of our players. We showed the character of our nation."
Technical observers at EURO 2024
