Hello everyone and welcome to this live blog for Saturday’s second Euro 2020 quarter-final, as Ukraine take on England for a place in the semi-finals. The Three Lions are amongst the favourites to go on and win the trophy, but Andriy Shevchenko‘s side will be keen to cause an upset and spoil their party. We’ll be covering the action from Rome in this live blog, as we see who can get to within a step of the final.
Ukraine vs England FINAL SCORE: 0-4
This is the start of our Ukraine vs England live blog, with the entries nearest the top the most recent ones. So, follow along with us for all the build-up and then minute-by-minute updates.
Reaction to England’s win against Ukraine
England boss Gareth Southgate to BBC One: “The players have been fantastic. To play as well as they did in a game with so much resting on it was impressive. The spirit in the group is phenomenal. Whoever comes in does the job, wheoever isn’t in – it is really difficult to leave three out of the matchday squad – the squad mentality is fantastic.”
England winger Jadon Sancho to BBC Radio 5 Live: “I’m feeling over the moon. Today was a must-win and I’m just happy to have got an opportunity to play. This is a special moment for me. Every time I haven’t been playing I’ve been going back to training and been giving it everything. I’ve just been focusing on myself while I’ve been at England. I’ve always been ready if I needed to come on. We knew today was going to be a big game, Ukraine are a very good side. I’m delighted.”
Star of the Match
Harry Kane, who scored England’s first and third goals, has been named as UEFA’s Star of the Match.
FULL TIME: Ukraine 0-4 England
The referee has opted not to add any more time on, so England are officially in the final four of Euro 2020! Goals from Harry Kane (2), Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson saw England take an unassailable lead. England will now face Denmark in the semi-finals.
Minute 88: Easy for England
There are not going to be any late shocks here in Rome. England are a few minutes away from the semi-finals.
Minute 77: England seeing out this match
This is looking like a comfortable ending to the match for England, who are not committing too many players forward now. Pickford is perhaps the only concern, as he does not look as assured as he has in previous matches.
Minute 70: Pickford almost gives Ukraine hope
Yarmolenko’s long ball is miskicked by Pickford, which almost allows Ukraine the chance for a goal, but Kyle Walker was there to save his goalkeeper.
Minute 64: Triple change for England
Luke Shaw, Kalvin Phillips and Raheem Sterling have been brought off in place of Kieran Trippier, Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford. A well-earned rest for the three players coming off.
Minute 63: GOAL FOR ENGLAND!
Henderson gets away from his marker to head home Mount’s corner from the right-hand side. That’s Henderson’s first-ever goal for the Three Lions. England’s party continues. Ukraine 0-4 England.
Minute 62: What a save!
Kane hits a well-hit left-footed volley that almost flies into the back of the net, but Bushchan got two strong hands to it to push it behind for a corner.
Minute 56: First change for England
Declan Rice, who is a yellow card away from suspension, has made way for Jordan Henderson.
Minute 55: Intensity has dropped
The Ukraine players seem to understand that the game is most likely beyond them now, while England are allowing themselves to sit off a little. Then, when they are winning about, they are attacking with purpose. It could be a long 35 minutes for Ukraine.
Minute 50: GOAL FOR ENGLAND!
Sancho wins the ball back for England inside his own half and then a counter-attack is launched, which ends with Shaw crossing for Kane to head home. England have an unassailable lead now, surely. Ukraine 0-3 England.
Minute 46: GOAL FOR ENGLAND!
Shaw’s free-kick cross from the left-hand side is met by Maguire, whose powerful header flies into the back of the net. Ukraine 0-2 England.
Minute 46: Kane fouled
Kane has gone down after Sydorchuk stands on his foot. A free kick in a dangerous area for England.
SECOND HALF: England kick things off again
England have got things underway for this second half. Let’s see if they can add to their advantage or if Ukraine can draw level in the next 45 minutes.
HALF TIME: Ukraine 0-1 England
Harry Kane’s goal early in the first half gives England a slender lead at the break, but Ukraine have grown into the match and have created chances of their own. When England have attacked they have looked threatening, though, and they will be keen to add to their advantage in the second period.
Minute 43: Shaparenko shoots wide from distance
Ukraine are looking more and more confident, with their latest venture forward seeing a cross cleared into the path of Shaparenko, who slightly slices at his shot as it veers wide from 25 yards out. The change to a 4-3-3 seems to be benefitting Ukraine now.
Minute 37: Mount tackles well
Yarmolenko receives the ball by the six-yard box, but Mount was there to rob it and then make another quick tackle before clearing the danger. It’s not a like-for-like switch, as Shevchenko has seen a defender go off and replaced him with a winger.
Minute 35: Kryvtsov goes off injured
Kryvtsov has had to go off with an injury, so Viktor Tsygankov has replaced him.
Minute 33: Rice’s thunderous strike saved
Sterling shows his pace by beating Karavayev, with Matviyenko clearing it away only as far as Rice, but his thunderous strike from 25 yards out was batted away by Bushchan.
Minute 29: Kane’s header goes over
Shaw’s free-kick cross from the left meets the head of Kane, but he sees his effort go over the bar.
Minute 27: Sterling’s shot blocked
Phillips chests Shaw’s throw-in into the direction of Sterling, who looks to force a shot through the Ukraine defenders but to no avail.
Minute 22: Good England move comes up short
Some interplay between Sancho, Mount, Sterling and Shaw saw England progress towards the Ukraine area, but no one was there to convert Shaw’s well-placed cross.
Minute 19: Matviyenko on the ground
Mykola Matviyenko is down receiving treatment for Ukraine, which some of their players have taken as an opportunity to get some fluids.
Minute 17: Yaremchuk’s shot saved
Kyle Walker’s poor pass inside his own half is capitalised on by Yaremchuk, who runs at Maguire before getting a near-post shot away, but it is pushed behind by Pickford.
Minute 12: Yarmolenko’s cross blocked
Yarmolenko gets down the right and reaches the byline, but his cross into the box was blocked by Maguire in what is Ukraine’s first attack of note.
Minute 9: England controlling things
That Kane goal seems to have eased any nerves England might have had, as they are maintaining their shape whilst defending but then look comfortable when they are on the ball.
Minute 4: GOAL FOR ENGLAND!
Sterling came inside from the left and played a wonderful pass into the path of Kane, who stretched out to poke his shot past Bushchan. Ukraine 0-1 England.
Minute 3: Mount appeals for a penalty
Mount goes down in the Ukraine penalty area after minimal contact from Mykola Matviyenko. The referee correctly doesn’t award a penalty.
KICK OFF: Ukraine get us underway
Ukraine have kicked things off here in Rome. Stay with us for minute-by-minute updates from Ukraine vs England.
20:50 CEST: Good turnout from England fans
There are plenty of COVID-related restrictions that have prevented thousands upon thousands of England fans heading to Rome for this quarter-final tie, but there are still plenty of supporters in the Stadio Olimpico tonight. There will be a total of 16,000 spectators inside the 72,000-seater stadium tonight.
20:45 CEST: The final preparations
The Ukraine and England players are out doing their final preparations ahead of tonight’s fixture. We are just 15 minutes away from kick off in Rome!
20:30 CEST: Southgate on why he selected Sancho in the XI
Jadon Sancho is set to make his first start at Euro 2020, just days after reports emerged that he will join Manchester United. England manager Gareth Southgate explains why he has opted for Sancho in England’s XI against Ukraine.
Southgate talks to the BBC: “Jadon Sancho has been really bright in training. Having a right footer on that side will really stretch the game. It’s been a huge challenge for all our attacking players. We have so much depth, and you can’t keep everybody happy. We’re looking for those moments when they’re really fighting in training, and he’s shown that. And his profile for this game, we need one against one specialists in this sort of fixture, and he has that capability. It’s been good for us to come away from Wembley to have a different preparation and feel to things, but we’ll find out in the next 90 minutes as to whether it’ll be a deciding factor for us. It’s a lovely night for football. Ukraine have had a fantastic run, we know the threat of their dangerous players, and we have to move the ball quickly.”
20:15 CEST: A worrying statistic for England
England will be hoping that their match against Ukraine tonight does not go to extra time or penalties, but the last three times that they have reached this stage of the European Championship, it has gone beyond the 90 minutes.
20:00 CEST: Ukraine’s XI is announced
Andriy Shevchenko has made one alteration from the team that beat Sweden in extra time, with Vitaliy Mykolenko replacing Taras Stepanenko.
Ukraine’s XI to face England: Georgiy Bushchan; Oleksandr Karavaev, Ilya Zabarnyi, Sergiy Kryvtsov, Mykola Matviyenko, Vitaliy Mykolenko; Sergiy Sydorchuk, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mykola Shaparenko; Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk.
19:45 CEST: England’s XI is here
Jadon Sancho and Mason Mount have come into the England starting line-up for tonight’s fixture, with Bukayo Saka and Kieran Trippier making way from the XI that beat Germany in the last 16.
England’s XI to face Ukraine: Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw; Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice; Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling; Harry Kane.
19:30 CEST: When and where to watch
For all of the information you need in terms of how to watch Ukraine vs England, we have a dedicated article for you right HERE.
