UKRAINE VS ALBANIA | UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 2024/2025 | FOOTBALL LIFE 2024

[Applause] it does seem to be a 433 Jim well one of the attacking advantages in this setup Peter is the impact that can be made between fullbacks and the attacking white players these combinations when worked well can be a real handful for any opposition and we're likely to witness that again you often see the wide man drift inside to allow the fullback to make the run out wide and it can just throw the opposition off kilter [Applause] so that's got things on the way John [Applause] keeper pulls up a fine save well that was high class goalkeeping there to back up his his high class [Applause] wage he's had AA and that's caused a worry or two early ball out from the back asani shifted up field malinovski gently done and he welcomes it great hit it's run loose who's going to get there delivers the it's bounced out could fall kindly oh terrific save from The Keeper well you can't ask for much more than that a difficult moment he's simply hard to deal with [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and now a sudden chance to counter that's an inviting looking ball that [Applause] Albania look very much like they've set themselves up to to absorb here it's going to be difficult to try and find Space Between the Lines stepanenko so what are you thinking sends it forward and back to the keeper they go well that was well positioned and and well pinched they can't hurt with their backs to go now that's a fine ball [Applause] malinovski it's a great ball oh what a [Applause] pass usai clears [Applause] zenchenko now who's going to be first to this broa and the counter is on threads one in broa he is through here he's got the shot away goal there is the break through well there's always a chance of being caught like that when you surrender the [Applause] football 27 minut [Music] [Applause] [Applause] deadlock broken it's 1 n and that ought to be the trigger for a really exciting and entertaining game from here [Applause] on and they can counter here Ashani out to the left it goes hangs one in well from experience I can tell you he'll get a lot of stick for getting that one [Applause] wrong forwards and with intent malinowski moved on forwards and they're not going to make any further progress now the ball is loose and the chase is on [Applause] Roa zenchenko okay being behind at the break isn't ideal but there's plenty of time to reply now looking to orchestrate a counter oh and he's through the middle nice bit of trickery buan deals with it effortlessly zenko and it's played forward played out to the Left Flank made out towards the right wing here's the ball [Applause] in nicked it back promptly and he cuts out the supply and there is the halftime whistle so the end of the first half both teams have had their moments there's been no shortage of talking points but there has been just one goal and that is the state of it at the break 1 n well it hasn't exactly got the plan so far but there's no need to panic there's still plenty of time to get back into this as always an early goal would help swing things back in their favor already up and running for the second half Ukraine need to get the balance right to sort this out ambition must be complemented by just the right amount of caution and I think the more experienced players can oversee [Applause] that delicate ball and it needs to [Applause] be crossed in and that is out and behind it's a good [Applause] block and now they can spring out a defense well time excellent interception zenchenko and now they can clear their lines oh that a real chance well he should have done better and he knows it Jim CTI goes direct to the front line still chasing the game trailing by one moved forward and quickly so he's a sharp little B here Ukraine are definitely going about this the right way this is a really front- footed approach spot on Peter muscular approach does pay off here shifted up field looking tidy in possession here cleared away and it's [Applause] corner and it's been taken short oh good spread back in up to meet it good try the outcome could so easily have been different yeah he may have snatched at that a bit even though it was quite close [Applause] [Applause] [Music] your impression so far Jim look they maybe W down but they're not shying away time is on their side and they're set on using [Applause] it nice physical challenge lobed in behind Jim sankov has given away a free kick [Applause] looking for the runner you can never be short of Runners into space as long as the space left behind is filled [Applause] [Applause] stepanenko forward and with intent challenge just a bit on the firm side Ukraine really might just end up kicking themselves after that that could well have been [Applause] it and the ball is out of play final check on the touch line a change about to occur well for me this was the obvious substitution he'd become just a little jaded and as a result of that he was most likely to make a mistake I think sometimes when the body becomes tired the brain goes with it and I think that's happened in this case oh that's really good play on the right he's driving forward now that's been [Applause] intercepted keep calm and carry on that's the job in a nutshell now locks it out wide oh sweet feet Ukraine really are showing all the necessary urgency but it's potency they need moments left barely that to avoid a shock defeat now [Applause] zinchenko that's [Applause] malinowski there's the shot oh nearly but nearly it's nothing gently done oh can he get on to this and the referee brings it to a close [Applause]