Ukraine Strikes Twice to Dim Finland’s U21 Euros Aspirations

Finland’s aspirations of advancing to the knockout stage of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship took a significant hit as Ukraine secured a comfortable 2-0 victory in Kosice, rejuvenating their campaign following a defeat in their opening match.

Having earned their first-ever point in the tournament with a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands on Thursday, Finland was eager to build on that momentum in their quest for a historic place in the knockout rounds.

However, the Finns found themselves on the back foot for much of the first half. Their goalkeeper, Lucas Bergstrom, was nearly caught out early on when he was dispossessed by Vladyslav Vanat inside his own box, but fortunately for him, the ball trickled wide of the left post.

Shortly thereafter, Volodymyr Brazhko’s free-kick from over 30 yards took a deflection off the wall, and Bergstrom had to react quickly to tip the ball onto the crossbar, keeping the score level.

As Ukraine continued to apply pressure, they finally broke the deadlock just before the half-hour mark. After Vanat’s initial attempt from inside the area was saved by Bergstrom, he seized on the rebound, delivering a powerful second effort that found the back of the net from close range.

Bergstrom was forced into another remarkable save to deny Maksym Braharu from point-blank range just six minutes before half-time, leaving Finland relieved to only be trailing by one goal at the break.

Despite their struggles in the first half, the Little Eagle-Owls knew they were still in the match as long as they remained just one goal down.

However, just four minutes into the second half, their challenge became even steeper when Vladyslav Veleten delivered a cross into the box that neither the defence nor Bergstrom could handle, allowing Braharu to tap the ball into an empty net from mere yards out.

Following a VAR review, the goal was confirmed, much to the delight of the Ukrainian side.

Chances were limited for Finland, and they recognised that any hope of a comeback hinged on converting their next opportunity. Yet, Ville Koski’s header from a cross went over the roof of the net, marking their best chance as Ukraine comfortably saw out the final minutes to secure their first victory of the tournament, which lifts them to second place in Group D.

Finland now finds themselves at the bottom of the table with just one point, heading into their final group fixture against Denmark on Wednesday, with their hopes of progression now hanging by a thread.