Sports Mole previews Monday’s European Under-19s Championship clash between Northern Ireland Under-19s and Ukraine Under-19s, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Tournament hosts Northern Ireland Under-19s will begin their European Under-19 Championship campaign when they face Ukraine Under-19s at Inver Park on Tuesday.
The two countries will battle it out for a top-two spot in Group A alongside Norway and the current holders Italy.
Match preview
Northern Ireland are set to make just their second appearance at the Under-19 Euros after being given automatic qualification as the tournament’s hosts.
Incidentally, their only previous appearance took place on home soil in 2005 when a team that contained current Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna finished bottom of the group following three consecutive defeats.
Nineteen years on, Northern Ireland will be hoping for better fortunes, but they will be aware that they have their work cut out to challenge for a top-two spot, especially as they are winless in nine matches since beating Moldova in September 2022.
They did at least manage to end a six-game losing run with back-to-back draws in their two friendly meetings with Slovakia last month.
Northern Ireland’s backline will know their defence will be put under intense scrutiny in the next three games, especially as they have conceded at least two goals in seven of their last nine matches.
Ukraine are set to appear at the European Under-19 Championship for the first time since 2018 after they successfully navigated their way through qualifying.
They took six points from three matches to progress to the Elite Round of qualifying, where they beat North Macedonia, Latvia and Switzerland to finish top of their group without conceding a single goal.
Those three wins have ultimately contributed to Ukraine’s impressive run of form, which has seen them win their last four matches by a combined 12-0 scoreline.
Ukraine have reached the knockout rounds in three of their previous five appearances at the Under-19 Euros, including the 2009 tournament when they went all the way to lift the trophy on home soil.
They will be determined to kick off their 2024 campaign with a positive result against Northern Ireland, before they face Norway on matchday two and current holders Italy in a tricky end to the group.
Northern Ireland Under-19s form (all competitions):
Ukraine Under-19s form (all competitions):
Team News
Northern Ireland are unable to call upon Brighton & Hove Albion’s Ruairi McConville and Leicester City’s Ryan Donnell due to injury.
Mason Munn is likely to start in goal, and he could be shielded by a back three made up of Josh Briggs, Daithi McCallion and Gallagher Lennon.
Reece Evans could be given the chance to lead the line after scoring three goals in seven appearances for the Under-19 side.
As for the visitors, Vladyslav Krapyvstov is expected to line up between the posts, while Oleksiy Gusiev, Maksym Melnychenko, Taras Mykhavko and Mykola Oharkov are poised to operate in the back four.
Borussia Dortmund’s Danylo Krevsun is likely to be joined in the middle of the park by Ramik Hadzhyiev and Daniil Vashchenko.
Dynamo Kyiv’s Matviy Ponomarenko represents one of Ukraine’s main goal threats after scoring six times in his country’s qualifying campaign.
Northern Ireland Under-19s possible starting lineup:
Munn; Briggs, McCallion, Lennon; Briggs, Morrison, McClure, Doherty; Turley, Trickett; Evans
Ukraine Under-19s possible starting lineup:
Krapyvstov; Gusiev, Melnychenko, Mykhavko, Oharkov; Hadzhyiev, Vashchenko, Krevsun; Synchuk, Matkevych, Ponomarenko
We say: Northern Ireland Under-19s 0-2 Ukraine Under-19s
While Northern Ireland have failed to win any of their last eight matches, Ukraine will carry significant momentum into the tournament after winning each of their previous four games without conceding.
With that in mind, we think a confident Ukrainian side will have enough quality to claim a relatively comfortable victory against the tournament hosts.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.