This is the decisive match for both sides’ campaign in the tournament. Ukraine and Austria have secured one victory each but suffered one defeat from Netherlands. Andrey Shevchenko’s men might have scored more but their defence is equally not satisfactory. However, Franco Foda’s side might be grateful with the return of Marko Arnautovic after serving one-game ban. This could be a nightmare for Ukraine’s defence.
Both teams’ previous games
Ukraine managed to thump North Macedonia 2-1 in the previous outing. Yet, it was not snatched easily. They had to struggle before scoring from Andrey Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk again. Both also bagged a goal each while taking on Netherlands. Unfortunately, Ruslan Malinovsky and Co could not keep a cleansheet as Alionski found the back of the net after his penalty was blocked. The Atalanta man Malinovsky even had a chance to open his account through a penalty but it was denied.
Their counterpart, sadly, had to lose points in the second game while visiting Amsterdam. De Oranje smashed them 2-0 by the goals of Memphis Depay and Denzel Dumfries.
Possible tactic
Andrey Shevchenko seems to be confident opting for 4-3-3. His trident upfront, Ruslan Malinovsky, Roman Yaremchuk and West Ham man Andrey Yarmolenko, remains the key figures on the attacking line. The last two have scored twice in the tournaments.
Meanwhile, Franco Foda might consider deploying 3-4-2-1 to close down their opposition attacking build up from the second line. Marko Arnautovic should get a nod here to feature the main frontman with Marcel Sabitzer and Hoffenheim youngster, Christopher Baumgartner supporting behind the former West Ham forward.
Players to watch
Atalanta man Ruslan Malinovsky is one of the key men in the current squad along with Manchester City left back Olexander Zichenko. They are versatile and excel at shooting from the long range. Another notable name to watch is Genk forward Roman Yaremchuk.
RB Leipzig man, Marcel Sabitzer is the anchorman in Austria. His physical prowess also leads him to play a bigger role in the midfield. Some other key figures are surely Arnautovic and the skipper David Alaba who has been deployed in a number of roles since his international debut.
Ukraine vs Austria Prediction
Both teams are aiming for a win for sure, which should place them on the second of the table, while the losing side would have to wait for the results from the other groups to go through. A draw result would give more advantage for Ukraine to finish on the second instead of Marcel Sabitzer and Co. Thus, this could be a game of thriller with both sides trading attacks and goals. Nevertheless, a draw seems the fairest result.
Betting odds
The punters seems to put Ukraine as the favourite as they are backed to win at 11/4, whereas Austria is only priced to win at 56/19. The draw result is at the value of 21/20.
