Andrey Shevchenko directs and also inspires this Ukraine that is overcoming obstacles in extremis, with the ability of a tightrope walker, without explaining very well how he does it. Artem Dovbyk, a 24-year-old boy who grew up idolizing the greatest talent ever given by football in his country, pretended to be like him when in the 121st minute, after the extension of extra time had already begun, he tied Ukraine's first qualification for the quarterfinals. final of a Eurocup. England await on Saturday this unpredictable block, which survives the limit, which left a Sweden that trusted everything to penalties as a stone after winning ten at the beginning of extra time. He had them within arm's reach until Dobvyk denied them the extra ball.


Ukraine is going from agony to agony at this European Championship. The eighth pass, as the worst of the four thirds of the group that qualified - three of them have reached the fourth, by the way - after scratching the three points against weak North Macedonia, did not cloud Andrey Shevchenko's capacity for self-criticism . The mythical striker was aware that his Ukraine was not following a correct path in this European Championship, nothing new in a team whose most outstanding feature is instability, capable of looking brilliant and disastrous depending on the day and regardless of who the rival is. So for her match against Sweden, Sheva opted to reinvent herself, seating the talented Malinovskiy to protect herself with a three-center defense aimed at slowing down the speed of the Swedish attackers' counterattack.


But don't be fooled by appearances. The line of five behind, every day that passes more popular in this European Championship -France, Belgium, England, Germany, Denmark ...-, was not a defensive declaration of intentions. Ukraine claimed the ball from the beginning, without risking in the passes, but trying to temper a Sweden that has already shown that it does not bother to be on the lookout. Shevchenko's plan was, at heart, simple: get the Yarmolenko, Shaparenko and Zinchenko to have the ball in the last third and from there to invent. Not a pointless ball.


This is how the Ukrainians managed to get ahead on the scoreboard, with a delicious pass from Yarmolenko's outside through a tangle of Swedish defenders in the area that Zinchenko sent to the net with all the power he could.

The finger in the mouth showed the desire for vindication of the versatile City player, last night lane.

The assistance of the second goal was going to finish crowning him.


The plan was going perfectly during the first half for Ukraine and only an accident thwarted it.

With two minutes to go, a long shot from Forsberg bounced off Zabarnyi on its way to the goal and the deflection left Bushchan unable to tackle the ball.

The Dynamo Kiev goalkeeper would think that it was not fair and he was right.


Ukraine followed suit after the break, with Sydorchuk finishing off the post after another good play from Yarmolenko. However, right after that play, it was Forsberg who found the post, culminating in a counterattack from Isak, and from then on, around the 55th minute, Ukraine was daunted, with the Leipzig midfielder increasing his prominence in the game. Bushchan's crossbar soon after witnessed their danger. The superiority of the Scandinavians was at times overwhelming, while their rival was hopelessly diluted. Taking the game to extra time was the best thing that could happen to Shevchenko's men, although not such an epic outcome.


The overtime was the perfect definition of their fear of losing.

Neither the accumulated wear nor the stops due to the changes and for a few physical incidents allowed too many joys, but not one was taken.

Perhaps Ukraine did it a bit after Danielson's expulsion - terrifying his knee-high tackle on Besedin - four minutes into extra time, but everything seemed to lead inexorably towards the second penalty shootout of this round.

Until the last of his thousand centers, Zinchenko found Dovbyk to remind himself that Ukraine lives and survives on the edge.

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