Ukraine Shows Resilience and Secures Crucial Win in World Cup Qualifier Match
In an intensely competitive and thrilling match, the Ukrainian national team demonstrated resilience and tactical mastery, securing an important victory against Azerbaijan in the fourth round of the qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
The match took place on October 13 in Kraków, Poland, where Ukrainian players displayed remarkable determination and tactical discipline to win with a final score of 2-1.
The game started with an aggressive attack by Ukraine, which created several dangerous moments, including a near goal when Konoplya hit the crossbar.
By the 30th minute, Ukraine broke the deadlock as Malinovsky executed a precise free-kick pass to Gutsulyak, who headed the ball into the net.
However, the Azerbaijani team responded swiftly, equalizing before the break due to a defensive mistake by Zabarnyi, who unintentionally handed the ball to Jafarquliyev.
The latter advanced along the goal line and crossed, allowing Akundzade to finish with a well-placed shot.
In the second half, Ukraine regained the lead when Gutsulyak capitalized on Voloshyn’s cross, dribbling into a comfortable position and passing to Malinovsky, who scored the winning goal.
Toward the end of the match, Voloshyn had an opportunity to seal the victory with a third goal, but VAR review canceled it due to a foul committed by Bondarenko at the start of the attack.
The final score was Ukraine 2, Azerbaijan 1, with goals scored by Gutsulyak (30th minute) and Malinovsky (64th minute), and a goal by Akundzade at 45+3.
The Ukrainian squad featured Trubin, Konoplya (Mykhailichenko, 46), Zabarnyi, Matvienko, Mykolenko, Yarmolenko (Kalyuzhny, 84), Ocheretko (Bondarenko, 71), Malinovsky (Shaparenko, 71), Gutsulyak (Bondar, 85), Dovbik, and Voloshyn.
Azerbaijan’s starting lineup included Magomedaliyev, Guseynov, Kryvotsuyk, Mustafazade, Badalov, Jafarquliyev, Bayramov, Haimbulaev, Makhmudov, Nuriyev, and Akundzade.
This victory elevated Ukraine to second place in Group D with 7 points, surpassing Iceland and closing the gap to France, which holds the first place.
The upcoming matches promise more excitement and intensity, as Ukraine continues to assert itself on the road to qualification for the 2026 World Cup, demonstrating resilience, strategic discipline, and the drive to succeed.