MY ACCOUNT
Hampden Park will play host to Scotland’s delayed 2022 World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final against Ukraine on Wednesday — and it promises to be an emotional affair.
It will be Ukraine’s first competitive match since Russia’s invasion and a victory would be a major boost for the nation.
The stakes could not be higher as the winners of this clash will move on to face Wales in Cardiff on Sunday with a place at the Qatar World Cup up for grabs.
Team news
It is difficult to know what shape Ukraine will be in physically and mentally.
They have played several friendlies in the build-up to this World Cup qualifier but the game will be their first competitive contest since last November.
With more than half of Oleksandr Petrakov’s squad plying their trade in the suspended Ukrainian Premier League, fitness could well be an issue.
Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko is set to fill a midfield role alongside Taras Stepanenko and Ruslan Malinovskyi.
Everton ace Vitaliy Mykolenko will play at left-back, with Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yeremchuk and Viktor Tsyhankov forming a front three.
Ryan Jack has been forced to pull out of the Scotland squad and the midfielder has been replaced by Allan Campbell.
Kieran Tierney is injured but Nathan Patterson is in contention and Andy Robertson, who played 90 minutes in the Champions League final on Saturday, has vowed to be ready.
The stats
Games involving Ukraine have generally produced plenty of entertainment.
Both teams have scored in nine of their previous 10 matches and you have to go back to July 2021 to find the last time Petrakov’s men failed to find the net.
Ukraine are unbeaten in their last 10 games, with a 4-0 reversal to England in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 the last time they were on the wrong side of a result.
Scotland are on an eight-game undefeated run, recording six victories with five of those wins coming without conceding.
They have only shipped two goals in their last six competitive matches and will be looking to keep Ukraine at bay.
Predictions
This is a unique game and that could make it a tricky tie to call.
However, Scotland have built up a strong collection of results in recent times and they look to have a good chance of winning at Hampden Park.
Clarke’s side recorded excellent wins over Denmark and Austria in Group F.
And in Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes they have good outlets at the top end of the pitch.
Ukraine also have quality in forward areas but they are not as solid defensively — and that could make the difference on Wednesday.
The visitors have kept just one clean sheet in their last 15 matches and their fitness question marks could hand Scotland another advantage.
This may not be as tight as the status of the game suggests and it would be no surprise to see the Scots win a high-scoring contest.
