Euro 2024: Romania v Ukraine - Match Preview & Odds
Here at betting.bet we’ll offer an enhanced match preview including team news, match insights and betting tips as well as the latest pre-match odds
The first round of group games at Euro 2024 will continue into next week as Romania and Ukraine meet in Munich on Monday afternoon. This tough looking Group E encounter kicks off at 2pm and here at betting.bet we’ll offer an enhanced match preview including team news, match insights and betting tips as well as the latest pre-match odds from our partners at Coral.
Form
Romania qualified for Euro 2024 with relative ease as they topped their group without losing a game. Romania finished five points clear of Switzerland and seven ahead of Israel as they accumulated 22 points from their ten qualification matches. However, they have been in desperate form in 2024 and head into this summer’s tournament on the back of four matches without a win. Romania’s recent warm up matches produced back-to-back goalless draws against Bulgaria and Liechtenstein.
Ukraine were unlucky to miss out on second place behind England in their qualification group as they were pipped by Italy due to an inferior head-to-head record. Ukraine did bounce back to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland in their European Championship play-off matches. Serhiy Rebrov’s side were one of the few nations to have played three warm up matches last week, experiencing mixed results. Ukraine held Germany to a 0-0 draw in Nuremberg before losing 3-1 away in Poland. They did however bounce back to win 4-0 away at Moldova in their final friendly before Euro 2024.
Team News
Olimpiu Morutan has missed out on a place in Romania’s Euro 2024 squad after failing to recover from a cruciate ligament injury sustained in April. However, the Romanians do boast a clean bill of health throughout their 26-man squad. The biggest selection dilemma for head coach Edward Iordanescu will be in goal. Horatiu Moldovan is Romania’s first-choice goalkeeper but he has not played a single minute of first-team football since signing for Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in January. There are therefore calls for Iordanescu to hand a recall to 36-year-old Florin Nita.
Ukraine have no such issues with their goalkeeper as Andriy Lunin heads to Germany on the back of a breakthrough season at Real Madrid. Lunin started the campaign as third-choice at the Bernabeu but a couple of injuries saw the 25-year-old handed an opportunity in the first-team - one that he took with both hands.
Everton defender Vitaliy Mykolenko is an injury doubt for Ukraine with Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenho in line to deputise at left-back.
Roman Yaremchuk has long been Ukraine’s established first-choice centre forward however, his place in Ukraine’s starting XI has come under real pressure from Girona forward, Artem Dovbyk. Whilst Yaremchuk netted just three goals for Valencia in La Liga this season, Dovbyk clinched the Pichichi Trophy with 24 goals in his debut La Liga season.
Predicted Line Ups
Romania: Moldovan, Ratiu, Dragusin, Burca, Bancu, M. Marin, R. Marin, Cicaldau, Stancu, Puscas, Man
Ukraine: Lunin, Konoplya, Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Mykolenko, Stepanenko, Sudakov, Zinchenko, Tsygankov, Dovbyk, Mudryk
Romania v Ukraine: Head-to-Head
Romania and Ukraine have met on six previous occasions, Romania won the first three but Ukraine have hit back to win three straight matches of their own. The last international between these sides ended 4-3 to Ukraine in May 2016.
Betting Tips
As well as finishing as the top scorer in La Liga in 2023/24, Artem Dovbyk has also chipped in with three goals in five internationals this year including two in this month’s three international friendly matches. If Artem Dovbyk does get the nod to start on Monday then he’ll be a massive threat to Romania. Dovbyk is priced at 17/4 to score first or 8/5 to score at any time on Monday.
Romania may have come through their qualifying group undefeated but their poor recent form cannot be ignored. Against a Ukraine side that more than held their own in a qualifying group with traditional European heavyweights England and Italy, Romania could be found wanting. Ukraine are excellent value to win on Monday at 19/20 whilst we’re not opposed to backing them at 11/4 in the -1 handicap market.
Match Odds
Romania | Draw | Ukraine |
---|---|---|
13/5 | 21/10 | 19/20 |
Predicted Match Result: Romania 0-2 Ukraine (15/2)