Ukraine Returns To International Football, Beat Scotland 3-1
Ukraine returns to international football with a 3-1 win against Scotland as they edge closer to Quatar World Cup.
The World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final was delayed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier in 2022, but Oleksandr Petrakov’s side were deserved victors at Hampden Park despite Georgi Bushchan’s blunder setting up a grandstand finish.
Scotland boss Steve Clarke made it known that he was “desperate” to reach the World Cup despite Ukraine’s hardship, yet his team could not match the intensity shown by the visitors until late in the match, after Bushchan had fumbled Callum McGregor’s shot over the line.
Both Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yarmanchuk scored the opening goal-with Artem Dovbyk adding a third in stoppage time, and now only Wales stand in their way of a place in Qatar.
Craig Gordon twice came to Scotland’s rescue early on, first tipping over Viktor Tsygankov’s strike before smothering Yarmolenko’s close-range effort, but Ukraine made a deserved breakthrough in the 33rd minute
Having beat Scotland’s offside trap, Yarmolenko controlled Ruslan Malinovskiy’s lofted pass brilliantly before lofting a neat finish over the onrushing Gordon.
It was 2-0 four minutes after the restart – Yaremchuk heading home from Oleksandr Karavaev’s right-wing cross after Scotland failed to clear their lines from a free-kick.
