Friday, September 20, 2024

Slovakia vs Ukraine live updates

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Sergei Rebrov is 13 matches into his tenure as Ukraine manager. He has an emerging generation to work with; they are the youngest team to qualify (average starting age under 26) and play expansive, attacking football.

Excluding a recent friendly against Germany in which they played a 5-4-1, Ukraine shape up in a 4-3-3. Arsenal fans will see Oleksandr Zinchenko play as a proper No 8, with Everton’s Vitalii Mykolenko the first-choice left-back.

There is plenty of positional interchanging and short build-up, though they will go long to the No 9 or a winger/advanced full-back against an aggressive press.

Expect to see the full-backs positioned aggressively against a mid-block, with wingers rolling inside to play close to the No 9. The deepest midfielder will drop between the centre-backs, creating a 3-2-5 build-up shape.

Their main routes to goal are crosses and cutbacks, consistently getting three or four players (No 9, No 8, far-side winger) in the box at these scenarios.

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