Preview: Ukraine Under-21s vs Denmark Under-21s - prediction, team news, lineups

Starting their respective campaigns on Thursday afternoon, Ukraine Under-21s and Denmark Under-21s clash at Futbal Tatran Arena in Presov in the Under-21s European Championships.

The Blue and Yellows have enjoyed a significant victory in the warm-up to this opening round at the tournament, whilst the Red and Whites have struggled across friendly fixtures.

Match preview

Following a six-game winless run across Euro qualifying and friendly fixtures, Ukraine managed a morale-boosting success on Friday night, when a solitary strike during the first half from Ilya Kvasnytysa was enough to down European giants Spain in a warm-up meeting.

The Blue and Yellow's most recent success in a competitive fixture arrived all the way back in September 2024, when first-half strikes from Nazar Voloshyn and Maksym Bragaru sealed a 2-1 win at the base of Northern Ireland, who missed out on this summer's major tournament.

Ukraine commenced their qualifying section in sensational style - enjoying an eight-game winning run - before suffering back-to-back defeats to round off their Group F antics, meaning that they ended up as runners-up, a single point behind Lee Carsley's England.

The only player to net on more than two occasions for the Blue and Yellows during qualification, 21-year-old Voloshyn will be looking to have a major impact on the continental stage once again this summer, with the winger now a regular appearance-maker for Dynamo Kiev.

Ukraine did relatively well during their most recent appearance at an Under-21s European Championships, successfully escaping a tough-looking group before defeating France in the quarter-finals, with the Eastern European outfit eventually losing 5-1 to Spain in the final four.

Thursday's opponents Denmark managed to go one better than their Ukrainian counterparts in their eight rounds of qualifying to finish top of their section after claiming 17 points, losing just the single match in a Group I also containing Czech Republic, Wales, Iceland and whipping boys Lithuania.

Since rounding off that triumphant campaign with a comfortable two-goal success over Iceland in October 2024, the Red and Whites have witnessed their form fall off a cliff, with Thursday's designated away side enduring a four-game winless streak across friendly fixtures.

Yet to turn out in the month of June, Denmark's most recent match came against Italy at the end of March, with a goal from Oliver Sorensen appearing to win the contest for the visitors before Matteo Prati equalised at the conclusion of the first half of action.

Each of the Red and Whites' last three wins in any form have arrived on home soil, with their latest away victory coming all the way back in November 2023, when Tobias Bech and Oliver Provstgaard were on the scoresheet at Rodney Parade in Newport to defeat Wales.

Possessing the potential to be a star of the entire tournament, Mathias Kvistgaarden was his nation's leading goalscorer during qualification with three strikes, and the Premier League-linked attacker is fresh off a 17-goal campaign for Brondby in the Danish Superligaen.  

Team News

Ukraine are without the services of Arseniy Batahov, with the 23-year-old defender picking up a campaign-ending knee injury during May.

As a result, the Yellow and Blues are short of options at centre-back, where 20-year-old Taras Mykhavko could play a huge role on Thursday afternoon.

Scoring during Denmark's most recent success last year, Sturm Graz midfielder Tochi Chukwuani will be targeting a place in the XI once again.

A key man for Sporting Lisbon in the Primeira Liga this term, Conrad Harder has the ability to light up a tournament at Under-21 level.

Ukraine Under-21s possible starting lineup: 

Krapyvtsov; Smolyakov, Vicharenko, Mykhavko, Roman; Brazkho, Yarmolyuk, Tsarenko, Ocheretko; Voloshyn, Vanat

Denmark Under-21s possible starting lineup: 

Jungdal; Gaaei, Provstgaard, Otoa, Kristensen; Chukwuani, Jorgensen, Sorensen; Harder, Osula, Kvistgaarden

We say: Ukraine Under-21s 1-2 Denmark Under-21s 

With a recent history of upsetting the odds at this tournament, Ukraine should not be counted out of this round one clash in Group D.

Denmark possess a forward line capable of competing in the top flight of most leagues across Europe, and that attacking prowess should lead to maximum points in Presov.

Written by
Carter White

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