Ukraine round off their preparations for Euro 2020 with a final friendly battle against Cyprus at the Metalist Stadium on Monday evening.

The hosts ended a seven-game winless run by overcoming Northern Ireland 1-0 last time out, whereas Cyprus suffered defeat by the same scoreline to Hungary.

Match preview

Following a remarkable Euro 2020 qualification period in which Ukraine booked their place in the final tournament without defeat, victories have been hard to come by for Andriy Shevchenko since 2020, but a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland was a timely boost ahead of the summer.

A 10th-minute header from Oleksandr Zubkov was all that could separate the two sides on the night, as Ukraine managed to end a spate of stalemates after drawing their last four games 1-1, including their first three of World Cup qualification.

Failing to get one over 98th-ranked Bahrain was a bitter disappointment for Ukraine, but Shevchenko's side have at least managed to string together a five-game unbeaten run across all competitions before they attempt the improbable task of pipping the Netherlands or Austria to a top-two spot in Euro 2020 Group C.

Shevchenko's side must prepare for battle with group favourites Netherlands on the opening matchday of this year's tournament, but a strong third-placed ranking could yet see them meet one of the big boys in the knockout rounds, where they have not made an appearance since their runners-up finish in 1988.

Unsurprisingly, a team led by the formerly ruthless Shevchenko need no trouble finding the back of the net - having done so in their last 16 games on home soil - but Ukraine have only managed to score once in each of their last six on familiar territory, so the visit of Cyprus could provide a prime opportunity to break that duck.

Two crushing victories over the international whipping boys San Marino were Cyprus' only saving graces during their European qualification period, and the 97th-ranked nation have yet to establish themselves as a real force to be reckoned with.

That being said, Nikos Kostenoglou was able to take pride in his side's performances during March's World Cup qualifiers, as Cyprus overcame Slovenia and held Slovakia to a goalless draw, while also frustrating 2018 runners-up Croatia before falling to a 1-0 defeat.

Kostenoglou has evidently instilled a resilient nature into this Cyprus side, and it very nearly paid dividends once again during their friendly encounter with Hungary on Friday, but Andras Schafer's first-half strike ultimately proved decisive on the day as Cyprus succumbed to another 1-0 loss.

With no Euro 2020 campaign to worry about, Kostenoglou's men have no reason to play in a conservative manner as they attempt to derail Ukraine's preparations for the tournament, but the visitors have not won away from home since beating Kazakhstan 2-1 in October 2019.

Cyprus' first meeting with Ukraine saw them come out on top in a thrilling 4-3 extra-time win during a 2001 friendly, but Taras Stepanenko scored the only goal of the game when the Yellow and Blue overcame their opponents 1-0 back in 2016.

Team News

Ukraine will compete at Euro 2020 without the experienced Yehven Konoplyanka - their third-highest goalscorer and eighth-most capped player of all time - as the attacker has not been able to shake off a thigh issue in time.

Atalanta's Viktor Kovalenko has not made the cut due to an injury in the same area, but Oleksandr Zinchenko ought to be involved after joining the squad late from the Champions League final.

Arsenal-linked striker Roman Yaremchuk is set to lead the line at Euro 2020 and should do so in this final warm-up battle, with Zubkov and Andriy Yarmolenko both hoping to keep Marlos out of the side.

Cyprus defender Andreas Karo reportedly had to be withdrawn through injury in the second half versus Hungary, so 18-year-old Stelios Andreou coud be given a run-out in the back three.

As Kostenoglou searches for solutions to a sometimes toothless attack, 17-year-old Loizos Loizou could challenge a man 19 years his senior in Fotis Papoulis for a spot out wide.

Ukraine possible starting lineup:
Bushchan; Karavaev, Zabarnyi, Matvienko, Mykolenko; Zinchenko, Shaparenko, Malinovskiy; Marlos, Yaremchuk, Zubkov

Cyprus possible starting lineup:
Panagi; Sotiriou, Andreou, Ioannou; Psaltis, Artymatas, Kastanos, Nikolaou; Loizou, Christofi, Pittas

We say: Ukraine 2-0 Cyprus

Cyprus are proving themselves to be a difficult team to break down under Kostenoglou's tutelage, but that resilience has come at a price with only one goal in their last five outings.

Ukraine are not exactly renowned for their goal-laden, dominant showings on the attacking front either, but they should see out a comfortable win before their focus switches to the Euros.

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