Malta-Ukraine is a match on the eighth day of Group C of Euro 2024 qualifiers and is played Tuesday at 8:45 p.m.: TV, formations, predictions.
For Serhiy Rebrov’s Ukraine, it is the penultimate outing before the highly anticipated direct clash with Italy, scheduled for Nov. 20. The yellow and blue, now tied on equal points in the standings with the Azzurri (who, however, have one game less), have only to beat bottom-of-the-table Malta and hope for a misstep by Luciano Spalletti’s men.
In fact, two, since after the Wembley big match with England, now one step away from qualification, Italy will have to deal with North Macedonia, a banana peel on which it already slipped last September. That is why Ukraine cannot fail in the Ta’ Qali challenge: crucial to get to 13 points, pure knowing that the possibility of not being masters of their own destiny in a month’s time is always very high. Stepanenko and his comrades, in any case, made no missteps in Saturday’s match clash against the North-Macedonians, played on a neutral field as has been the case for some time because of the conflict with Russia that is affecting the country. One goal apiece (Sudakov and Karavayev) and North Macedonia knocked out, for a success that had been missing for three games: in the last two had come a draw and a loss to England and Italy.
Against Malta, in addition to the injured Tsygankov and Yarmolenko, head coach Rebrov will also have to do without the disqualified Malinovskyi.
Satariano and Guillaumier
It should be enough, however, to fold the small Maltese selection, led by Italian Michele Marcolini. The red and white did not particularly excite against Italy last Saturday in Bari (4-0), failing to limit the damage as they did in the first leg match. The Maltese offered their best performance against Ukraine in June, losing narrowly (1-0) but holding on until twenty minutes from the end.
The prediction
As against Italy, Malta will be holed up in their own area most of the time: so far Marcolini’s men have scored only one goal in six games and they also have to do without their best player, Teuma. Reason why Ukraine, in addition to bringing home the three points will likely also keep their goal unbeaten.
The probable lineups of Malta-Ukraine
- MALTA (5-3-2): Bonello; Attard, S. Borg, Muscat, Pepe, Shaw; Kristensen, Guillaumier, Yankam; J. Mbong, Montebello.
- UCRAINE (4-2-3-1): Trubin; Konoplya, Zabarnyi, Matvienko, Mykolenko; Zinchenko, Stepanenko; Zubkov, Sudakov, Mudryk; Dovbyk.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 0-3