This is the first ever competitive meeting between Romania and Ukraine, with each of the previous six taking place in friendlies. Romania won the first three between 2001 and 2003, with Ukraine remaining unbeaten in the last three (W2 D1 between 2010 and 2016).
Ukraine are playing in their fourth consecutive UEFA European Championship. They’ve lost eight of their previous 11 matches in the competition (W3), the highest loss rate of any nation to play in more than one edition (73%).
Romania are taking part in their sixth UEFA EURO and their first since 2016, when they finished bottom of their group after winning just a single point.
Across their 16 games at the UEFA EURO, Romania have managed just a single win (D5 L10), beating England 3-2 at EURO 2000 with Ioan Ganea scoring the winner in the 89th minute from the penalty spot.
50% of Romania’s goals at UEFA EURO finals have come via set pieces (5/10 – one corner, one free-kick and three penalties). They haven’t scored a goal in open play in any of their last seven games at the UEFA EURO, with their two goals at EURO 2016 coming via Bogdan Stancu penalties.
Romania’s win ratio of 6% at UEFA EURO finals (1 win in 16 games) is the lowest of any side to have competed in more than one tournament. They also have the lowest goals-per-game ratio of any nation to have played more than 10 games at the finals (10 goals in 16 games, 0.63 per game).
Ukraine have failed to score in six of their nine group stage games at the UEFA European Championship, scoring exactly two goals in each of the other three – 2-1 wins against Sweden (2012) and North Macedonia (2020), and 2-3 loss to Netherlands in 2020.
Edward Iordănescu will be leading Romania in a major tournament for a first time. He is the first manager to take charge of Romania at a major tournament since his father, Anghel Iordănescu, did so at EURO 2016. Indeed, his father Anghel has managed more games (15) and won more games (5) at major international tournaments than any other Romania manager.
Ukraine manager Serhiy Rebrov is managing at his first major international tournament. The former Spurs striker didn’t appear for them at the UEFA EURO but did play four games at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, scoring in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia.
With two goals and three assists, Andriy Yarmolenko has been involved in five of Ukraine’s eight goals at the UEFA European Championship (63%).