June 26 – Ukraine became the first ever team at a Euro finals to fail to progress from the group stage with four points after a 0-0 draw with Belgium, who once again failed to live up to either their talent or world ranking.
It was a cruel afternoon for a committed Ukraine so desperate to provide some joy for their nation under siege.
They were marginally the better side, showing more intensity and commitment than a Belgium team that at times were strangely stodgy and horribly wasteful in the final third.
Belgium qualify for the knockout round in second place but know they have to rapidly find a solution to their lack of goals. With Lukaku struggling to get on the pace they have found no plan b, no matter how brilliant Kevin de Bruyne is.
Belgium went into the final Group E encounter needing just a draw to guarantee qualification to the round of 16. Ukraine had to win if they were to progress. A win for Belgium would have seen them top the group and in the easier side of the knockout round bracket.
That proved to be another big opportunity missed by the Belgians. They now face France.
Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco had said that goals would come and he expected Romelu Lukaku to start scoring soon. Lukaku should have scored on six minutes.
Fed through by Belgium’s best player de Bryne, Lukaku scuffed his shot. It was Belgium best chance of the half.
Despite controlling early possession the Belgians struggled to threaten inside the box, while Ukraine were happy to cede possession but looked to cause damage on the counter attack.
It took 20 minutes for Ukraine to have their first shot in anger with Roman Yaremchuk’s shot from outside the box easily gathered by Koen Casteels. A minute later Artem Dovbyk did the same but dragged his shot wide.
The Ukranians were growing into the game and looking more likely to score than Belgium.
Heorhiy Sudavkov joined a counterattack but his shot went over the top. Yaremchuk headed over from another counterattack.
Belgium’s ringmaster de Bryne pushed and probed, and tested the alertness of Ukraine keeper Anatoily Turbin with a cheeky free kick that curled just wide of the post when everyone was expecting a cross into the box.
At the other end Ukraine pulled the ball across the Belgium goal but the counter attack was arriving too late to get a touch
With the clock ticking into added time in the first half time De Bryne again tested Trubin from outside the box.
The second half opened with more urgency from Belgium, and Jeremy Doku in particular looking sharper.
Perhaps too sharp as Lukaku was too late arriving for a tap in from a Doku ball across the face of the goal.
Yannick Carrasco was then put through on a 2v1 but took the ball too far and his shot was easily picked up by Trubin. It was another wasted chance by Belgium.
Lukaku was flat footed in the box and completely missed a ball in from Doku. A minute later he fed Carrasco on the edge of the box whose shot was punched away by Trubin.
With eight minutes to go and Ukraine’s urgency increasing, they almost scored from a corner.
Ruslan Malinovskyi curled the ball low into the near post. Casteel, marking the centre of goal just scrambled back to his post to keep the ball from crossing the whole of the line. It was close and sparked a recharged Ukraine effort.
With three minutes to go Belgium broke with 3v2 but failed to use their advantage as Doku blasted wide. Straight back at Belgium, Malinovskyi smashed the ball into a defender
Into added time and Ukraine threw everything they had at Belgium. It was to no avail. Ukraine became the first ever team to fail to progress from the group stage with four points.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1719675490labto1719675490ofdlr1719675490owedi1719675490sni@n1719675490osloh1719675490cin.l1719675490uap1719675490
Into a