Euro 2020 – Left-handed gang and inspired Yaremchuk: this Ukraine knows how to feast

On arrival, a defeat for Ukraine, therefore. But the formation of Andriy Shevchenko was able to react four days later to win against North Macedonia (2-1). And each time, she offered some technical candy. Out of four goals scored since the start of the competition, four gestures have attracted attention.

• Netherlands Ukraine, 2-1 : At the start of the last quarter of an hour, Andriy Yarmolenko realizes his special, namely to return on his left foot to roll up a strike from the opposite window. The great Maarten Stekelenburg, a bit too advanced, can only see the damage. The West Ham player won, for a few hours, the palm of the most beautiful goal of the competition. Before the superb inspiration of the Czech Patrick Schick the next day against Scotland …

• Netherlands Ukraine, 2-2 : Four minutes after its reduction of the score, Ukraine equalizes. At the start, a free kick love deposited by Ruslan Malinovskyi on the head of Roman Yaremchuk, between the penalty spot and the six meters. Either the perfect area to endanger a defense and its goalkeeper.

• Ukraine – North Macedonia, 1-0 : Again with the baton from a corner, Malinovskyi does not achieve this time the best set-piece of his career. But on this outgoing cross, Oleksandr Karavev gave the public a superb deflection, a kind of aerial heel, to allow Yarmolenko to open the scoring, alone at the far post.

• Ukraine North Macedonia, 2-0 : This time, it is collectively that Ukraine stands out. Coming to look for the ball between the lines, Oleksandr Zinchenko directs in two touches on his right for Yarmolenko, who throws Yaremchuk perfectly in a touch of the ball. The latter finishes the job calmly, in a not so obvious angle.

After the victory against Goran Pandev’s teammates, Shevchenko was not wrong in his analysis. “In the second half, the balance changed, but the team played a very good first half (…) I think the team played well in attack today, it was beautiful to watch.” This was not always the case, far from it, in recent months. But when it’s complete, the Sbirna Zbirna has some serious tricks up its sleeve.

The left-handed gang

The names have already been mentioned above. But Yarmolenko (West Ham), Malinovskyi (Atalanta) and Zinchenko (Manchester City) all play for a club in the European top 5. Three left-handed legs which are arguably among the best in this European Championship and which, if you add them to Zubkov’s in the first game, brought the number of left-handed people in the middle to four, behind Yaremchuk. On Thursday a few names changed but they were again four left-handed among the middle five. A real armada.

And it is not only in the finish that those concerned express themselves. Very free on the field while he evolves as left-back under the orders of Pep Guardiola – certainly in the Guardiolesque definition of the position of full-back – Zinchenko for example directs the game with personality, before his teammates are illustrated in the 30 last meters. A zone of truth which is also that of Yaremchuk in this beginning of Euro.

Author of two goals in his first two matches, like Yarmolenko, the La Gantoise striker is riding on his great club season – 23 goals and 8 assists in 43 matches – and confirms that he has become one of the major assets of Ukraine in the offensive sector. “I am not going to say that I am the main goalscorer for the team because everything changes quickly in football”, tempered the person after his first goal against the Netherlands, in remarks relayed by The last hour. Still, against North Macedonia, he struck again. It was “only” the 62nd nation in the FIFA rankings, to be sure, and Ukraine has “only” three points. But in two matches, she has already offered a few gestures that will remain. And that’s also why we look at the Euro.