UKRAINE picked up their first points of Euro 2020 with a tight win over tournament minnows North Macedonia in Bucharest.
Yaromlenko and Yaremchuk notched in the first half for Ukraine before Alioski pulled one back from a penalty rebound in the second half.
- RESULT: Ukraine 2 North Macedonia 1
- Ukraine XI: Bushchan, Stepanenko, Yarmolenko, Malinovskyi, Yaremchuk, Shaparenko, Zabarnyi, Mykolenko, Zinchenko, Karavaev, Matviyenko
- North Macedonia XI: Dimitrievski, Ademi, Musliu, Alioski, Pandev, Ristovski, Velkovski, Nikolov, Bardi, Spirovski, Elmas
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- Joshua Mbu
SAVED FROM THE SPOT
Two penalties were saved in today's game!
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FULL-TIME STATS
North Macedonia put up a good fight in the second half!
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FT: UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
Before the game, North Macedonian player Aleksandar Trajkovski promised that they would not go down without a fight.
He said: "This team will never surrender. We will fight to the end, then we will see what happens.
"We will not give up; we will fight to get through the group and make everyone back at home proud enough to take to the streets."
And they did fight until the very end!
Pandev won a penalty in the 55th minute, and Leeds' Alioski stepped up to the plate.
Alioski missed the initial penalty, but scored the rebound to pull a goal back.
Ukraine managed to weather the storm and late on they had the chance to seal the game.
Malinovskiy won Ukraine a penalty after his free-kick struck the arm of a North Macedonian penalty.
He stepped up himself, but saw his spot-kick saved by Dimitrievski.
Unfortunately for North Macedonia, they'll find it hard to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament and they face the Netherlands next.
Ukraine, on the other hand, have put themselves in a very good position.
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PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE GOES IN BUCHAREST!
UKRAINE COME AWAY WITH ALL THREE POINTS!
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
90+2. Trajkovski has the ball on the edge of Ukraine's penalty area and the No9 shapes up to shoot.
He pulls the trigger, but drags his effort wide of the far post.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
90. The fourth official holds his board up and there will be four additional minutes played.
Ukraine are also making one last change, and Malinovskiy is replaced by Sobol.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
89. There's a break in play whilst Stepanenko receives treatment for what looks like cramp.
But let's go back and talk about the penalty.
The referee alongside with the officials running VAR got it absolutely spot on.
That's how you correctly use VAR in a football game. It's been used effectively so far in this tournament.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
87. Not a lot of time left in the game for North Macedonia to find an equaliser.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
84. Malinovskiy steps up and sees his penalty saved by Dimitrievski and North Macedonia remain in the game!
Avramovski was the man who gave the penalty away, and he was booked before the spot-kick was taken for handball.
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MALINOVSKIY FLUFFS HIS LINES!!!
GOOD SAVE BY THE GOALKEEPER!!!
NORTH MACEDONIA REMAIN IN THE GAME!!!
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
82. PENALTY!
Rapallini emphatically points to the spot. Penalty to Ukraine!
Malinovskiy to take…..
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
81. Well then, the ball appears to hit the arm of a North Macedonian player from Malinovskiy's free-kick.
And the referee for the first time this tournament, has gone across to the screen to take a look.
Standby for confirmation.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
79. Ukraine win a free-kick in a promising position out wide on the right flank.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
77. SUBSTITUTION!
Both teams make a substitution, and for Ukraine it's a conservative change.
Shaparenko is taken off for Dynamo Kyiv's Sydorchuk.
And for North Macedonia, Bardhi is taken off for Kayserispor's Avramovski.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
75. Alioski switches play to the opposite flank, finding Bardhi close to the touchline.
The midfielder tries to play the ball down the line to Ristovski, but Matviyenko gets across well to sweep the ball out of play.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
73. JUST WIDE!
Malinovskiy plays a wonderful pass into Tsyhankov inside North Macedonia's penalty area.
The No15 – despite being unmarked – fires wide of the far post! Poor effort.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
72. Musliu appears to have pulled up with cramp.
He is helped back to his feet and he tries to stretch it off, not sure how much it will help, though.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
70. North Macedonia have shown some fight in the second half, and there's still time to find an equaliser.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
68. DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION!
Goal-scorer Yarmolenko is taken off and he passes the captains armband to Stepanenko.
He is replaced by Tsyhankov
And Besyedin is on for the other Ukrainian goal-scorer Yaremchuk. Bold move.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
67. Trajkovski finds a yard of room 35 yards from goal and he has another pop at goal.
The shot causes Bushchan some problems and the keeper pushes the ball behind for a corner.
North Macedonia are building up some momentum!
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
65. Malinovskiy gets a powerful shot off on goal, but the keeper comfortably saves.
There's a little bit of afters between goalkeeper Dimitrievski and Yaremchuk.
But South American referee Rapallini intervenes.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
63. Zinchenko turns well inside Ukraine's half and looks to play the ball in behind North Macedonia's backline for Yarmolenko to run onto.
But the Man City midfielders' pass has too much power on it and the attack breaks down.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
60. A good spell of North Macedonian possession breaks down and Yaremchuk leads the Ukraine counter attack.
The forward breaks into the opposition half on his own and is dispossessed by Ademi.
But Ademi's touch sends the ball out of play for a Ukraine throw-in.
Pandev won the penaltyCredit: GETTY IMAGES And Alioski scored itCredit: GETTY IMAGES - Joshua Mbu
UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
59. YELLOW CARD!
Malinovskiy is brought down by Velkovski and the defender is booked.
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UKRAINE 2-1 NORTH MACEDONIA
58. We have a real game on our hands now.
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