Yaremchuk scores winner as Ukraine beat Slovakia

Roman Yaremchuk scored a crucial winner for Ukraine, coming from behind to defeat Slovakia and keep their Euro 2024 hopes alive.

The Valencia striker had been on the pitch for just 13 minutes when he secured the lead for his team.

Yaremchuk capitalized on Mykola Shaparenko’s ball over the top and finished with finesse.

A brilliant touch allowed him to delicately nudge the ball past Slovakia goalkeeper Martin Dubravka into the bottom left corner from six yards out.

Ivan Schranz had put Slovakia ahead after 17 minutes with his second goal in as many games, but Ukraine mounted a comeback to secure a significant victory.

Shaparenko equalized for Ukraine in the 54th minute, sweeping home from close range following Oleksandr Zinchenko’s cross. Yaremchuk then ensured the three priceless points with his decisive goal ten minutes from time.

This marks the first time Ukraine has come from behind to win a match at the Euros since their 2-1 victory against Sweden in 2012.

Ukraine move level on points with Slovakia and Romania, who will play their second group-stage match against Belgium on Saturday.

Serhii Rebrov’s side underperformed in the first half despite creating numerous chances.

The decision to drop Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin was justified early on as his replacement, Anatolii Trubin, made two crucial saves in the first 10 minutes.

Trubin denied Lukas Haraslin’s low-angled shot with his legs and thwarted Schranz from close range.

He was called into action again, saving David Hancko’s free-kick and palming it out for a throw-in.

Hancko took the resulting set-piece, finding Haraslin, who easily got behind the Ukrainian defense and delivered a cross that Schranz pounced on.

Mykhailo Mudryk initially struggled to make an impact and had a wild shot when through on goal.

He improved later, passing to Artem Dovbyk, who displayed clever footwork in the box, but his near-post shot was blocked by Peter Pekarik.

However, Ukraine’s second-half performance showcased their fighting spirit. After Shaparenko’s equalizer, they persisted and were rewarded when Yaremchuk sealed the victory, becoming only the second Ukrainian substitute to score at a major tournament.

There were emotional scenes at full-time as Yaremchuk, in tears, and the Ukrainian players applauded their fans after this much-needed victory.