Tag: Ukraine

There was a palpable sense of disappointment emanating from the Northern Ireland camp following defeat to Poland in their opening match of Euro 2016, with regrets aplenty over their lack of any kind of goal threat. The following outing against Ukraine became absolutely crucial. Manager Michael O’Neill responded in bold fashion by making five changes including the decision to drop leading striker Kyle Lafferty, and that move could not have paid off any better as a deserved 2-0 victory gave them a fighting chance of qualifying for the last 16.…

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The qualifiers brought two memorable encounters between Germany and Poland, with both teams collecting a win apiece, so there was much anticipation when they were drawn together for the finals. They come into it having won their opening matches, so a victory for either side will be enough to guarantee a place in the next round, and in all likelihood top the group. Poland were the dominant force throughout against Northern Ireland and got the result they deserved, but they will be slightly disappointed at their inability to score more…

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Since winning the World Cup in 2014, Germany have not entirely convinced, as a handful of new faces mixed in with some of the older ones laboured a little through qualifying, but they have long been renowned as a team that excels when it really matters. As a result, few expect them to slip up when they face Ukraine as their bid to win the European Championship for the first time in 20 years begins. They have been placed in a section from which they should comfortably advance, although top…

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