At 12:00 AM on June 27th, the UEFA Euro Group E Round 3 match will see Ukraine and Belgium battle it out at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart. According to the latest FIFA rankings, Ukraine is ranked 24th in the world and 12th in Europe; Belgium sits at 3rd in the world and 2nd in Europe.
The current point situation in Group E is the most complex among all groups so far. All teams have a record of 1 win and 1 loss, with 3 points each. This means any team has a chance of advancing. Romania, due to goal differential, currently sits atop the group ahead of Belgium. Slovakia and Ukraine occupy the 3rd and 4th positions. Though all teams have a shot at advancing, their expectations vary greatly. Belgium aims to finish as group winners, even though they had a shaky start. The current chaos offers them an opportunity. Ukraine also sees a chance for advancement, but they face an opponent with an even stronger desire to win.
In their opening match, Ukraine stumbled, losing to Romania 3-0 with no fight back. In their second game, they narrowly defeated Slovakia 2-1. After conceding an early goal, Ukraine found themselves on the brink. They subsequently launched a wave of attacks but failed to capitalize. Slovakia’s defense remained orderly and composed, handling the pressure. In the second half, the tide turned as Ukraine intensified their offensive efforts. Finally, their efforts were rewarded in the 54th minute with Shaparenko’s goal, bringing the scores level. The match then became a tense battle with Slovakia almost ending the suspense with a couple of counterattacks. Just as Ukraine’s defense was on the verge of collapsing, Yaremchuk’s goal secured Ukraine a valuable three points. While victory was welcome, the team’s attacking efficiency and ability to create scoring opportunities must improve, or it will greatly hinder their prospects.
Belgium suffered a 1-0 defeat to Slovakia in their first match, but bounced back in their second game. In their 2-0 win over Romania, Belgium fired off 20 shots, with 9 on target. Goals from Tielemans and De Bruyne helped Belgium secure the victory. However, Romania also proved they deserved a place in this tournament. With 14 shots and 5 on target, they created a few dangerous moments in front of Belgium’s goal. Despite being ranked third in the world, Belgium hasn’t shown any sign of dominance or a devastating attacking style so far.
According to statistics, the two teams have never faced each other in history. This match will be their first encounter, adding a touch of mystery. Ukrainian football has made significant progress in recent years, earning more appearances at the World Cup, European Championship, and other major tournaments. Each time they participate, they generate a lot of expectations, but the results are often underwhelming. They’ve generated a few youthful storms in past tournaments, but besides their impressive performance in 2020, they seem to have more youth than storm. Belgium has established its reputation and their paper lineup always raises eyebrows. In actual matches, they either play disappointingly or appear to be strong but lack substance. They rarely struggle against weaker opponents, but often fail to deliver when it matters most.
In their second group match, Ukraine made a change in their starting goalkeeper. Trubin replaced Lunin, who had started the first match. Rebrov’s decision required great courage, and it turned out to be a wise choice. He made 4 crucial saves throughout the match, allowing Ukraine to concede only one goal. Trubin’s performance was instrumental in securing the victory. After the match, Rebrov even admitted that Trubin’s ability could have earned him a starting spot earlier. However, other highly anticipated players like Dovbyk, Sudakov, have yet to live up to the expectations. Mudryk, though hardworking, seems to rely solely on his speed. Clearly, the UEFA Euro stage does not favor a “one-trick pony” approach.
Witsel has been ruled out of Belgium’s first two group matches due to injury. According to Belgian media reports, the Atlético Madrid midfielder is unlikely to return for this match. Trossard, Arsenal’s best signing of the season, has also been ineffective for the national team and hasn’t contributed anything. The unluckiest player has been Lukaku, who has already scored three goals that were ruled out by VAR, one for offside, one for Openda’s handball, and another for “body hair” offside. Doku even joked: “Lukaku loves scoring, but now he’s scared to score. He’s become afraid of celebrating.” In this match, will Lukaku finally score his first genuine goal of the tournament?
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