Ireland welcome Ukraine to the Aviva Stadium in the UEFA Nations League on Wednesday night.
The Boys in Green come into this on the back of a surprising defeat to Armenia last time out. Despite being on top throughout the game, Ireland weren’t able to find the net.
A sole second half strike was enough to earn Armenia a 1-0 in Yerevan. It could have been even worse for the visitors, as the hosts also had a goal chalked off by VAR.
It certainly wasn’t the way the Irish wanted to start this month’s campaign. With no World Cup to look forward to this winter, doing well in this competition would be a confidence booster.
They’ll need to put that shock defeat to Armenia behind them here though and focus on the task at hand. That’s easier said than done however, and Ukraine certainly won’t roll over for the hosts.
The visitors recently had to deal with the heartbreak of missing out on this year’s World Cup. Ukraine took on Wales in the qualifying final and fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat on Sunday.
They put their all into the game and it will be interesting to see if fatigue sets in here. Ireland have also had an extra day’s rest and that could prove pivotal in this game.
It looks set to be a competitive game between two nations who will take it seriously. It has the potential to be a very entertaining match up in Dublin come Wednesday evening.
Below, we’ll preview this UEFA Nations League fixture and provide our predictions, the team news, our recommended bets and more…
Ireland vs Ukraine Predictions
The hosts come into this game on the back of a pretty decent run of form. The weekend defeat to Armenia was just their second loss in their last ten games.
A narrow 2-1 defeat to Portugal in World Cup qualifying was the only other loss in that time. The run also includes draws with Portugal, Belgium and Serbia.
The Boys in Green are just as consistent at home also. In their last ten games at home, they’ve lost just twice to Luxembourg and Finland.
They have only won two of those ten games however, beating Lithuania and Qatar. The remaining six games have all ended in a draw.
Ukraine’s form will definitely give their fans a boost. That 1-0 defeat to Wales was their only loss in their last ten matches in all competitions.
When you break it down to away form, it’s just as impressive. Out of their last ten games on the road, Ukraine have again only lost one, winning five and drawing four.
That kind of form will stand them in good stead as they travel to Dublin. They will definitely fancy their chances of getting three points on the board and kicking off their Nations League campaign.
If Ireland are to get the win here, their defence is going to have to be on its game. Ukraine dominated Wales and only lost via a deflected free kick.
The hosts will be hoping for a similar bit of luck, but you can’t bank on that in football. It looks set to be a very competitive game.
Read on for our Ireland vs Ukraine predictions and best bets.
Ireland vs Ukraine Head to Head
This is actually the first time these two countries have ever met in any capacity. That doesn’t give us much to go on, other than the recent form of both sides.
On that front, the two teams are pretty evenly matched also. Both have suffered defeats, but draws and wins have become much more common of late.
In terms of the official FIFA world rankings, Ukraine hold the advantage here. The visitors are ranked at number 24 in the world, while Ireland are ranked number 47.
The rankings obviously don’t mean that Ukraine will win. However, it’s a clear indicator in the gulf in class between the two squads.
Home advantage is a big thing in the sport of football. If the Irish crowd can get behind their boys and make plenty of noise, it could get them over the line.
Ireland Team News – L W D W D
Stephen Kenny is not expected to make any changes from the side that lost to Armenia on Saturday. That will see Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher keep his place in goal for the hosts.
John Egan, Shane Duffy and Enda Stevens are likely to start as the three central defenders. Nathan Collins will get the nod at right wing back, with captain Seamus Coleman at left wing back.
Jeff Hendrick will anchor the midfield for the hosts. He could be partnered by Callum Robinson and Josh Cullen in the centre of midfield.
Chiedozie Ogbene and Tottenham’s Troy Parrott are expected to start together up front again. Neither has been particularly prolific for their country of late.
Ukraine Team News – L W D W W
The Ukrainians didn’t do a lot wrong in their loss to Wales on Sunday. It’s for that reason that they’re expected to name an unchanged side. Our Ireland vs Ukraine predictions expect Georgi Bushchan to start in goal.
Ilya Zabarnyi and Mykola Matviienko are likely to start at the centre of defence for the away side. Oleksandr Karavaev will get the nod at right back, with Everton’s Vitali Mykolenko at left back.
Taras Stepanenko will anchor the midfield for Ukraine. He will be partnered by Atalanta’s Ruslan Malinovsky and Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko in the middle of the park.
Viktor Tsygankov and Andriy Yarmolenko will provide the attacking width. The latter was the unfortunate man to score the own goal at the weekend. Benfica’s Roman Yaremchuk will lead the attack.
Ireland vs Ukraine Betting Tips
The hosts come into this one as the narrow favourites if the odds are to be taken at face value. The home side are priced up at 6/4 to win in our Ireland vs Ukraine match bets.
These two countries love a draw lately and this one is expected to be tight. If you think it will end all square, you can back the draw at 11/5.
After failing to reach the World Cup on the weekend, Ukraine are the outsiders to win here in Dublin. The visitors are priced at 12/5 to take the three points in their first Nations League game.
The away side have the superior technical ability in their squad. However, with their own crowd behind them, Ireland are expected to hold firm. We’re going for a draw here.
Ireland vs Ukraine Recommended Bets
