Tuesday at 6:30 PM Kyiv time, the playoff match reply for Euro-2023 (U-21) Ukraine – Slovakia will begin in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz on Municipal Stadium. The main referee of the meeting will be Norwegian Roheit Saghi. A direct broadcast will take place on regional channels Public Speech, as well as on the YouTube channel of the Ukrainian Football Association.

In the first playoff match, Ukraine's youth national team lost in Jilina – 2:3. So now our team needs to definitely win in their nominal home game against Slovakia.

Photo by the UAF press service

“These two days we dedicated to allowing the team to recover more, both physically and psychologically. We used this time for recovery, so I believe that the boys are ready and understand what is needed. I think everything is in our hands and feet.”

Regarding the personnel situation, as it often happens after matches with some micro-injuries present. Vovcharenko will miss the match due to a suspension. This is our only loss.

In terms of psychology, everything seems to be in place so that the boys understand: extra emotions and worries should be set aside. There's a match we need to win. Everyone understands this perfectly,” — said head coach of Ukraine Ryslan Rotan ahead of the meeting.

Photo by the UAF press service

We add that earlier, Ukraine's youth team four times played in the playoff of Euro qualification. Twice our team advanced to the final tournament: at Euro-2006 – after a duel with Belgium (2:3 at home, 3:1 away), at Euro-2011 – after defeating the Netherlands (3:1 away, 0:2 at home). Twice blue-and-yellow were eliminated: in the playoff qualification for Euro-2002 – by Switzerland (two losses with a score of 1:2), in the playoff qualification for Euro-2015 – by Germany (0:3 at home, 0:2 away).

Lineup of Ukraine's youth national team

Goalkeepers: Dmytro Matsapura (“Zorya” Luhansk), Kiril Fesyun (“Kolos” Kovalivka), Yakiv Kinareykin (“Dnipro-1” Dnipropetrovsk), Anatoliy Trubin (“Shakhtar” Donetsk).

Defenders: Arseniy Batagov (“Zorya” Luhansk), Anton Bol, Kostiantyn Vovcharenko, Oleksandr Syrota (all – “Dynamo” Kyiv), Oleksandr Drambaev (“Zulte Waregem”, Belgium), Dmytro Kapinus (“Metalist 1925” Kharkiv), Oleksiy Sytsch (“Kortrijk”, Belgium), Maksym Talovoyev (“Slovanski Plzen”, Czech Republic).

Half-backs: Artem Bondarenko, Dmytro Krisykyv, Oleh Ocheretnyk, Georgiy Sudakov (all – “Shakhtar” Donetsk), Volodymyr Brachko, Mykhailo Mikhaylenko (both – “Zorya” Luhansk), Eldar Kuliyev (“Minai”), Oleksandr Nazarenko (“Dnipro-1” Dnipropetrovsk), Ivan Zhelezko (“Valmiera”, Latvia), Yegor Yamoluk (“Brentford”, England).

Forwards: Vladyslav Vanat (“Dynamo” Kyiv), Bohdan Vyunnyk (“Zurich”, Switzerland), Mykhailo Kukharevych (“Hibernian”, Scotland), Danylo Sykan (“Shakhtar” Donetsk).

Reserves: Valentin Rubchynskyy (“Dnipro-1” Dnipropetrovsk), Eduard Kozik (“Shakhtar” Donetsk), Roman Didyk, Marko Sapuga (both –  “Rukh” Lviv), Oleksiy Horin (“Minai”), Danyil Alefyrchenko, Maksym Khlyan (both – “Zorya” Luhansk), Maksym Bragaru (“Chornomorets” Odesa), Oleksiy Kasyuk (“Sabah”, Azerbaijan), Viktor Voloshyn (“Oleksandria»).

Lineup of Slovakia's youth national team

Goalkeepers: Lubomir Belko (“Jilina”), Ivan Krajchirik (“Ruzemberok”), Richard Ludga (“Zeliezovarne Podbrezova”).

Defenders: Tomash Nemcik (“Jilina”), Sebastian Kosa (“Spartak T”), Adam Obert (“Cagliari”, Italy), Ivan Mesik (“Odd”, Norway), Matous Vojtko (“Gorica”, Croatia), Samuel Dyatko, Michal Bakala (both – “Zeliezovarne Podbrezova”), Samuel Sulja (“VIOH”).

Half-backs: Filip Likhy (“Ruzemberok”), Peter Pokorny (“Fehervar”, Hungary), Patrik Mislovich, Adrian Kapralik (both – “Jilina”), Samuel Lavrinchik (“Trencin”), Adam Golian (“Sparta”, Czech Republic), Jan Bernat (“Westerlo”, Belgium), Sebastian Nebila (“DAK 1904”), Tomas Suchop, Tibor Slebodnik (“Zemplin”).

Forwards: David Stralec (“Spezia”, Italy), Matej Trusa (“Hradec Kralove”, Czech Republic), Jakub Kadak (“Lucerne”, Switzerland), Roland Galchik (“Jilina”).

Photo by the UAF press service

Euro-2023 (U-21). Qualification. Playoff

First matches

Slovakia – Ukraine — 3:2

Croatia – Denmark — 2:1

Iceland – Czech Republic — 1:2

Ireland – Israel — 1:1

The return matches will take place on September 27.

Final tournament: June 21 – July 8, 2023.

Participants of the final tournament: Romania, Georgia, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, four playoff winners.

Matches of the 16-team tournament will be held on four stadiums in Romania (two – in Cluj-Napoca and two – in Bucharest) and four in Georgia (in Batumi, Poti and two – in Tbilisi). The opening match will take place in Romania, while the final will be played in Georgia.