Ukraine leave it late to beat Austria
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
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Ukraine 2-1 Austria
Marc Janko's goal had looked like denying the EURO co-hosts, but Marko Dević's last-minute strike helped open the new Arena Lviv with victory.
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Four days after drawing 3-3 with Germany, Ukraine registered a 2-1 win against Austria at the new Arena Lviv.
Goals from Artem Milevskiy and Marko Dević secured the victory for Oleh Blokhin's side at the UEFA EURO 2012 venue in the latest stage of the co-hosts' preparations for next summer's finals. Marc Janko's strike, followed by Olexandr Kucher's dismissal, looked to have scuppered Ukraine's hopes until Dević's 90th-minute intervention.
Despite the eventual outcome, it was the visitors who began better, playing at an impressive pace and controlling possession. However, they struggled to create any real openings and Ukraine were the team to break the deadlock in the 18th minute, Milevskiy applying the finish to Olexandr Aliyev's cross.
Austria pushed for an equaliser, David Alaba twice going close, but Ukraine improved after the interval and nearly doubled their advantage through Milevskiy. Yevhen Konoplyanka was then denied by Robert Almer after Marc Janko had chanced his arm for Austria.
Janko then struck the equaliser, Kucher deflecting his header into the Ukrainian net. Kucher was dismissed soon after for pushing Marko Arnautović, but the hosts nevertheless salvaged victory, Dević finishing off a fine move involving Serhiy Nazarenko and Oleh Gusev.
Ukraine: Dykan, Fedetskiy (Butko 46), Kucher, Rakitskiy, Selin, Tymoshchuk, Rotan (Garmash 46), Aliyev (Dević 74), Yarmolenko (Gusev 64), Konoplyanka (Nazarenko 86), Milevskiy (Shevchenko 56).
Austria: Almer, Schrammel, Pogatetz, Fuchs, Ivanschitz, Arnautović, Alaba, Harnik (Kavlak 60), Baumgartlinger, Prödl, Janko.