Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine – priced 40/1 with totesport in the outright betting – can make it seven games unbeaten when they take on Austria at Tivoli Stadion Tirol in Innsbruck on Friday.
In a week when Germany and the Netherlands both crashed in friendly fixtures it is always wise to err on the side of caution when treading the path of non-competitive matches, but it is safe to suggest this outing means more to Ukraine than Austria.
The Austrians will not feature in this summer’s showpiece tournament having failed to qualify off the back of a wretched qualifying campaign which yielded just three wins, although they were thrown in at the deep end in a group with Germany, Turkey and Belgium.
Ukraine have enjoyed the benefit of not having to qualify but a kind pre-tournament itinerary, which has included friendly wins so far against the likes of Estonia, twice, and Israel is questionable when put under scrutiny.
The two sides met last November and Marko Devic earned 10-man Ukraine a stoppage-time 2-1 win. Since then the Ukrainians have scored seven goals in two further friendlies, including a 4-0 romp against Estonia on Monday. Andriy Yarmolenko ended an impressive season for Dynamo Kiev with 12 goals in the Ukraine top-flight and can be backed at 5/1 to end the tournament Top Ukraine Goalscorer.
Veteran striker Andriy Shevchenko (10/1 – Top Ukraine Goalscorer) made a cameo appearance in the second half and captain Anatoliy Tymoshchuk played just nine days after suffering Champions League final heartache with Bayern Munich.
The influential pair will be key to Oleg Blokhin’s hopes of leading Ukraine out of a Group D including France, England and Sweden (Ukraine 5/4 to qualify).
Ukraine can be backed at 11/8 to collect maximum points in a crucial opening game against Sweden (15/8 to win, draw 11/5 – 90 minutes), but, priced up at 4/7 stage of elimination – Group, are not expected to reach the knockout stages.
Ukraine squad:
Goalkeepers: Oleksandr Goryainov (FC Metalist Kharkiv), Maxym Koval (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Andriy Pyatov (FC Shakhtar Donetsk).
Defenders: Bohdan Butko (FC Illychivets Mariupil), Olexandr Kucher (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Taras Mikhalik (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Yaroslav Rakitskiy (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Yevhen Selin (FC Vorskla Poltava), Yevhen Khacheridi (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Vyacheslav Shevchuk (FC Shakhtar Donetsk).
Midfielders: Olexandr Aliyev (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Denys Garmash (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Oleh Gusev (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Yevhen Konoplyanka (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Serhiy Nazarenko (SC Tavriya Simferopol), Ruslan Rotan (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (FC Bayern München), Andriy Yarmolenko (FC Dynamo Kyiv).
Forwards: Andriy Voronin (FC Dinamo Moskva), Marko Devic (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Artem Milevskiy (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Yevhen Seleznyov (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Andriy Shevchenko (FC Dynamo Kyiv).
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