Ukraine defeated Portugal 2-1 on October 14 at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex in Kyiv to clinch a spot at Euro 2020 despite Christiano Ronaldo scoring his 700th career goal.
Roman Yaremchuk and Andriy Yarmolenko had Ukraine up 2-0 after only 27 minutes. In the 72nd minute Ronaldo notched his landmark goal from the penalty area after Taras Stepanenko was sent off, but Ukraine held on to secure first place in Group B.
Thus, Ukraine joined Poland, Russia, Italy and Belgium in next summer’s finals.
Yaremchuk scored from close range in the sixth minute when the center forward quickly reacted after Rui Patricio dove to parry Serhiy Kryvtsov’s header from a corner kick, poking the ball across the goal line. Yarmolenko added the second goal at 27 minutes when he outraced the Portuguese defenders to finish a swift counter attack.
Portugal dominated the second half, finally achieving a breakthrough when Ukraine’s Stepanenko blocked a shot with his arm, earning a second yellow card and ejection from the match before Ronaldo blasted the penalty shot into the net making it 2-1.
Ukraine collected 19 points in seven matches to clinch the top spot in Group B with its final qualifier against Serbia still to come on November 17.
Ukraine dominated play in the first half, and was well deserving of its two-goal lead at halftime. Portugal failed to defend an early corner kick, allowing Kryvtsov to direct a firm header goalward. Portugal’s Patricio managed to block the shot, but the ball ended up at Yaremchuk’s feet, and he did not miss from close range. Vitaliy Mykolenko’s surging rush down the left side ended with a low, crisp shot by Yarmolenko for coach Andriy Shevchenko’s team’s second tally.
Ronaldo looked like Portugal’s most likely goal scorer in the first half, but had few sights of the goal. His best effort was a shot tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov. He twice tested Pyatov early in the second half, firing a free-kick straight at Pyatov at 50 minutes and forced the goalie into a diving save with a stinging shot just before the 60 minute mark.
Portugal pressed for an equalizer in the closing moment, coming close with two tries in stoppage time that created chaos in the Ukraine penalty area. Ronaldo forced Pyatov into yet another save with a powerful header, the rebound falling to Portugal’s Pep at the far post, only to be blocked on the goal line. Danilo then hit the crossbar with a solid shot from range, which beat Pyatov and dropped into the penalty area before being scrambled away as Ukraine held on to clinch Group B.
Ukraine’s Run to Group B Top Spot:
March 22: Ukraine 0 Portugal 0 25: Ukraine 2 Luxembourg 1 June 7: Ukraine 5 Serbia 0 10: Ukraine 1 Luxembourg 0 Sept. 7: Ukraine 3 Lithuania 0 Oct. 11: Ukraine 2 Lithuania 0 14: Ukraine 2 Portugal 1