Tomorrow, September 12th, the qualifying match for Euro-2025 (U-21) will take place for Ukraine's youth national team (players born in 2002 and younger), which is led by Spanish coach Unai Melgosa.

The match between Ukraine and Northern Ireland will start at the National Training Center pitch in Poprad, Slovakia, at 18:30 local time (19:30 Kyiv time).

As a reminder, in Group F for spots to the final stage of the European Championship, teams from England, Ukraine, Serbia, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan, and Luxembourg will compete.

The day before the match, the head coach of Ukraine's youth national team, Unai Melgosa, answered questions from the press service of the UAF (Ukrainian Football Association).

— How would you comment on the friendly match against Germany? Were all tasks set before the game fulfilled?

— We had a chance to play an interesting and important match for our development. Germany is a strong team, and such a game is valuable for us. I am quite satisfied with the team as a whole and individually with the players. They tried to attack forward and take initiative in defense. Of course, there are things we need to improve in our game. But overall, my assessment is that it was a good match, and the players are developing.

— The situation with the striker... Who do you consider the main forward after experiments?

— Attack is not just about one player. The whole team needs to play offensively. We demand not only from forwards but also from midfielders and defenders to attack and realize it. So, it's not worth talking about a specific player. We need to talk about all players, their functions, and roles on the field.

— How would you evaluate Yarmoluk's performance? And is there anyone else from abroad in your consideration?

— At this age, I wouldn't single out any player individually. Although most of them play for their clubs' first teams, they are still learning and very young. We observe all young players both in Ukraine and abroad. If we understand that they have the skills, they will be called up to the youth national team.

— The team includes representatives of a group that reached the semifinals of Euro and qualified for the Olympics. Who among these boys do you think has the potential to become a leader or captain?

— I understand your question, but I prefer not to talk about specific players. All footballers in the team need to contribute to it. Their roles and functions are different. Of course, we discuss among ourselves which players might be more promising. But I don't want to share these thoughts so as not to worry the players.

— What would you say about Northern Ireland's national team based on their start in the qualifying tournament?

— The Irish lost their first match. You never know how they will react to that. But after watching the game, I can say that they could have scored and not lost. They have qualities and abilities, so we need to show our best version of ourselves to play accordingly and try to win.

Composition of Ukraine's youth national team

Goalkeepers: Ruslan Nescheret ("Dynamo" Kyiv), Yakiv Kinaraykin ("Dnipro-1" Dnipropetrovsk), Kiril Fesyun ("Kolos" Kalush).

Defenders: Arseniy Batagov, Anton Bol (both — "Zorya" Luhansk), Danil Skorko ("Oleksandria"), Artem Smolyakov ("Polesye" Zhytomyr), Vitaliy Roman, Bohdan Slubik (both — "Rukh" Lviv), Volodymyr Saluk ("Chornomorets" Odesa), Andriy Buliza ("Myna").

Midfielders: Yegor Yarmoluk ("Brentford", England), Vladyslav Brazyko, Nazar Voloshyn (both — "Dynamo" Kyiv), Valentyn Rubchinsky ("Dnipro-1" Dnipropetrovsk), Illia Kvasnytsya ("Rukh" Lviv), Maxim Bragaru ("Chornomorets" Odesa), Ivan Losenko ("Shakhtar" Donetsk), Yevhen Pavlyk ("Vorskla" Poltava), Kyrylo Sygeiev ("Oleksandria").

Forwards: Igor Krasnopyr ("Obolon" Kyiv), Denis Tesliuk ("Rukh" Lviv), Bohdan Vyunnyk ("Shakhtar" Donetsk).

Group composition of the Euro-2025 (U-21) qualifying tournament

In the final stage of Euro-2025 (U-21), 16 teams will participate: Slovakia and another 15 teams joining it based on qualification results (nine group winners, three best second-placed teams, and three playoff winners).

Group A: Italy, Ireland, Norway, Turkey, Latvia, San Marino.

Group B: Spain, Belgium, Scotland, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Malta.

Group C: Netherlands, Sweden, Georgia, North Macedonia, Moldova, Gibraltar.

Group D: Germany, Poland, Israel, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Estonia.

Group E: Romania, Switzerland, Finland, Albania, Montenegro, Armenia.

Group F: England, Ukraine, Serbia, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg.

Group G: Portugal, Croatia, Greece, Belarus, Faroe Islands, Andorra.

Group H: France, Austria, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus.

Group I: Denmark, Czech Republic, Iceland, Wales, Lithuania.

Schedule of Group F matches

07.09.2023

Northern Ireland — Luxembourg 0:1

11.09.2023

Luxembourg — England 0:3

12.09.2023

Serbia — Azerbaijan

Ukraine — Northern Ireland

12.10.2023

Azerbaijan — Northern Ireland

Luxembourg — Ukraine

13.10.2023

England — Serbia

16.10.2023

Ukraine — England

Northern Ireland — Serbia

17.11.2023

Ukraine — Luxembourg

18.11.2023

Serbia — England

21.11.2023

Ukraine — Azerbaijan

England — Northern Ireland

Serbia — Luxembourg

22.03.2024

Luxembourg — Serbia

Azerbaijan — England

26.03.2024

England — Luxembourg

Azerbaijan — Ukraine

Serbia — Northern Ireland

06.09.2024

Luxembourg — Azerbaijan

Northern Ireland — England

Ukraine — Serbia

10.09.2024

Northern Ireland — Ukraine

Azerbaijan — Serbia

11.10.2024

England — Ukraine

12.10.2024

Northern Ireland — Azerbaijan

15.10.2024

Luxembourg — Northern Ireland

England — Azerbaijan

Serbia — Ukraine

Playoff: 11–19 November 2024.