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European Championship - Play-off Eliminator Group B
UkraineUkraine2IcelandIceland1

Euro 2024: Ukraine beat Iceland 2-1 in play-off final to book spot in Germany

By Jonathan JurejkoBBC Sport
Ukraine players Georgiy Sudakov and Mykhailo Mudryk celebrate a goal against Iceland
Ukraine will play in the European Championship finals for the fourth successive tournament

Ukraine will compete in the finals of a major tournament for the first time since being invaded by Russia after Mykhailo Mudryk's winner in their Euro 2024 play-off final against Iceland.

Ukraine trailed 1-0 at half-time after Albert Gudmundsson put Iceland ahead with a superb strike.

But Serhiy Rebrov's side came back from behind in the second half, levelling through Viktor Tsygankov, before Chelsea forward Mudryk's late winner.

Ukraine will go into Group E at the Euro 2024 finals, alongside Belgium, Slovakia and Romania.

"I'm very proud to be Ukrainian, to be of the same blood as those who are now giving their lives for our freedom," said Ukraine captain Oleksandr Zinchenko.

"We need to talk about it, shout about it every day. This is the only way we can win.

"It was one of our most emotional games."

Before the game, Rebrov said qualifying for the tournament would bring "a bit of happiness" for Ukrainians as the nation continues to be attacked by Russia.

Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have been killed since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbouring country in February 2022.

The war means Ukraine's footballers have been forced to play their 'home' matches outside of their homeland, with their Euro 2024 play-off tie against Iceland taking place in Polish city Wroclaw.

Iceland were aiming to reach the finals for only the second time after memorably reaching the quarter-finals in 2016 and took the lead in the 30th minute through Genoa forward Gudmundsson.

But Ukraine, who also recovered from a goal down to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in Thursday's play-off semi-final, were the better side after the break.

Ukraine deservedly levelled when Girona's Tsygankov was allowed the time to drift in from the right flank and precisely find the bottom corner.

Continuing to dominate, Rebrov's side were further rewarded when Mudryk swept into the same corner six minutes from time to spark joyous scenes among the Ukrainian fans.

Poland has welcomed more refugees from the war-torn country than any other nation and Ukraine's victory was greeted by a sea of blue and yellow flags being waved in jubilation.

The Euro 2024 finals will begin on Friday, 14 June at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

The tournament concludes on Sunday, 14 July, with the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

Line-ups

Ukraine

Formation 4-3-3

  • 23Lunin
  • 2Konoplya
  • 13Zabarnyi
  • 22Matvienko
  • 16Mykolenko
  • 8MalinovskyiBooked at 42minsSubstituted forZinchenkoat 64'minutesBooked at 90mins
  • 14Brazhko
  • 7Sudakov
  • 15TsygankovSubstituted forTalovierovat 88'minutes
  • 9YaremchukSubstituted forDovbykat 72'minutes
  • 10Mudryk

Substitutes

  • 1Bushchan
  • 3Mykhailichenko
  • 4Talovierov
  • 5Sydorchuk
  • 6Shaparenko
  • 11Dovbyk
  • 12Trubin
  • 17Zinchenko
  • 18Vanat
  • 19Bondar
  • 20Zubkov
  • 21Tymchyk

Iceland

Formation 4-4-2

  • 12Valdimarsson
  • 4Pálsson
  • 5IngasonBooked at 56mins
  • 18Grétarsson
  • 3ThórarinssonSubstituted forFinnssonat 63'minutes
  • 17HaraldssonBooked at 21minsSubstituted forAndersonat 87'minutes
  • 21Traustason
  • 7GudmundssonBooked at 90mins
  • 9ThorsteinssonSubstituted forEllertssonat 87'minutes
  • 22GudjohnsenSubstituted forÓskarssonat 64'minutes
  • 10Gudmundsson

Substitutes

  • 1Ólafsson
  • 2Sampsted
  • 6Hermannsson
  • 8Ellertsson
  • 11Finnbogason
  • 13Gunnarsson
  • 14Finnsson
  • 15Willumsson
  • 16Anderson
  • 19Bergmann Jóhannesson
  • 20Óskarsson
  • 23Hlynsson
Referee:
Clément Turpin
Attendance:
29,310

Match Stats

Home TeamUkraineAway TeamIceland
Possession
Home60%
Away40%
Shots
Home13
Away6
Shots on Target
Home5
Away3
Corners
Home7
Away2
Fouls
Home8
Away12

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Ukraine 2, Iceland 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Ukraine 2, Iceland 1.

  3. Post update

    Maksym Talovierov (Ukraine) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Mikael Anderson (Iceland).

  5. Booking

    Oleksandr Zinchenko (Ukraine) is shown the yellow card.

  6. Post update

    Corner, Ukraine. Conceded by Victor Pálsson.

  7. Booking

    Jóhann Gudmundsson (Iceland) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  8. Post update

    Heorhii Sudakov (Ukraine) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Jóhann Gudmundsson (Iceland).

  10. Post update

    Offside, Iceland. Orri Óskarsson is caught offside.

  11. Substitution

    Substitution, Ukraine. Maksym Talovierov replaces Viktor Tsygankov.

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, Iceland. Mikael Anderson replaces Hákon Haraldsson.

  13. Substitution

    Substitution, Iceland. Mikael Ellertsson replaces Jón Thorsteinsson.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Yukhym Konoplya (Ukraine).

  15. Post update

    Jón Thorsteinsson (Iceland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  16. Goal!

    Goal! Ukraine 2, Iceland 1. Mykhailo Mudryk (Ukraine) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Heorhii Sudakov.

  17. Post update

    Attempt missed. Jóhann Gudmundsson (Iceland) left footed shot from outside the box is too high.

  18. Post update

    Corner, Iceland. Conceded by Illia Zabarnyi.

  19. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Albert Gudmundsson (Iceland) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jón Thorsteinsson with a through ball.

  20. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Spain87012552021
2Scotland8521178917
3Norway83231412211
4Georgia82241218-68
5Cyprus8008328-250

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1France87102932622
2Netherlands86021771018
3Greece8413148613
4Republic of Ireland8206910-16
5Gibraltar8008041-410

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1England86202241820
2Italy8422169714
3Ukraine8422118314
4North Macedonia82241020-108
5Malta8008220-180

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Turkey8521147717
2Croatia8512134916
3Wales83321010012
4Armenia8224911-28
5Latvia8107519-143

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Albania8431124815
2Czech Rep8431126615
3Poland83231010011
4Moldova8242710-310
5Faroe Islands8026213-112

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Belgium86202241820
2Austria86111771019
3Sweden83141412210
4Azerbaijan8215717-107
5Estonia8017222-201

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Hungary8530167918
2Serbia8422159614
3Montenegro8323911-211
4Lithuania8134814-66
5Bulgaria8044714-74

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Denmark107121910922
2Slovenia107122091122
3Finland106041810818
4Kazakhstan106041612418
5Northern Ireland10307913-49
6San Marino100010331-280

I

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Romania106401651122
2Switzerland1045122111117
3Israel104331111015
4Belarus10334914-512
5Kosovo102531010011
6Andorra10028320-172

J

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Portugal1010003623430
2Slovakia10712178922
3Luxembourg105231319-617
4Iceland103161716110
5Bos-Herze10307920-119
6Liechtenstein100010128-270
View full European Championship tables