Mudryk strikes late as Ukraine defeat Iceland in playoff to reach Euro 2024

 

Ukraine’s ­glorious march to victory encountered a small, doughty, volcanic obstacle. Iceland had pulled off a monumental shock by thrashing the highly fancied Israel on Saturday, and here again they seemed to relish their spoiling role. Lashed down in their classic 4‑4‑2, with their ­wingers dropping in to ­create a back five depending on which side was being attacked, Ukraine spent most of the first half puzzling over how to break them down, by which time they had gone behind.

It had been coming. Albert Gudmundsson’s left-footed strike from outside the area followed a neat lattice of passes with barely any ­Ukrainian pressure on the ball. Roman Yaremchuk had the ball in the net for an equaliser, only for the VAR to rule it out for offside. But amid Ukraine’s frustration lay a template: move the ball quicker, sweeping ­diagonal balls with blitzing runs. ­Viktor ­Tsygankov’s equaliser, curled into the bottom corner after a sumptuous long pass from Georgiy Sudakov, was a justified reward for a spell of sustained quality at the start of the second half.

Even as they began to dominate possession and territory, Ukraine continued to blow hot and cold. They were indebted to Andriy Lunin of Real Madrid for keeping them in the game with two fine saves. And finally, with six minutes left, they got what they came for. Again Sudakov was the creator, slipping into the right channel and turning the ball inside for Mudryk, whose low finish from 20 yards set off flares in the stands, jubilation in the press box and an agonising siege in the final minutes.

Eventually, the celebrations could begin. The Ukrainian substitutes bounded on to the pitch. Mudryk – who had a quiet game for the most part – looked skywards and gave a silent prayer of thanks. And so it will have been in the ­living rooms and shelters of Ukraine: a people not saved, and not safe, but ­grateful at least for this small morsel of happiness.