Ukraine vs Germany
The UEFA Nations League is back folks and there are two great games in League A4 to look forward to. Group pacesetters Spain host Switzerland while Germany head to Kiev to face a depleted Ukraine.
Andriy Shevchenko’s squad has been ravaged by injury and illness and this is a great chance for Joachim Low’s Germany to back up their two draws earned so far with a victory, and that would take them above their hosts in the group table.
The latest pre-match betting odds confirm Ukraine’s problems with the hosts, normally so strong on home soil, at a big 9.75 to win and 5.20 to draw while the visitors are a short price at 1.28 to return to Germany with all three points.
Talking Points
Ukraine hit by COVID-19
Shevchenko’s Ukraine started their Nations League campaign in good shape by beating a tough Switzerland side 2-1, before succumbing 4-0 to Spain.
They would have fancied a positive result in their clash with Germany, but COVID-19 has ripped through the Ukranian squad.
Two players have tested positive in the form of the Shakhtar Donetsk pair of goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov and midfield star Taras Stepaneneko while another four from the club are in isolation, including experienced striker Junior Moraes.
It is doubtful whether any will be able to join the squad for the upcoming matches against Germany and Spain.
“We are missing several key players so we had to call up a few guys from the Under-21 team; it’s hard for us because we don’t have a deep squad,” lamented Shevchenko.
And the head coach’s point was painfully hammered home as his young side fell to a 7-1 drubbing at the hands of World Champions France in a friendly last night, with the only bright spot being a 52nd minute wonder strike by 22-year-old Viktor Tsygankov.
Shevchenko will hope to have influential Premier League pair Andriy Yarmolenko and Olexandr Zinchenko fit, as both were on target in the 2-1 victory over Switzerland.
Would our Ukraine vs Germany betting tips be any different if the Ukrainians were free from this COVID-19 crisis? Well, it’s a possibility.
Prior to last night’s battering and their 4-0 defeat to Spain, Shevchenko’s side had won three and drawn one of the previous four – including a victory over Nations League holders Portugal.
Germany sideline Thomas Muller
German head coach Low doesn’t have any such problems and he has been able to drop one of his best players of recent years.
Thomas Muller is still a key player in a powerful FC Bayern attack and it seems a little premature for the national team to cast him aside at the ripe old age of 31.
But Low is content to rely on Bayern’s younger players to fire the nation to success, with Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka, and Joshua Kimmich all likely to start, while Leroy Sane is nursing a knee injury.
Premier League club Chelsea have two of Low’s rising stars in their ranks. Timo Werner showed his class in Germany’s 1-1 draw with Spain back in September while former Bayer captain Kai Havertz produced two assists in his country’s 3-3 draw with Turkey last night, including one for Julian Draxler.
Low will be disappointed that his side allowed Turkey to equalise three times and he will expect a more ruthless display when he picks a full strength team including the Bayern contingent against Ukraine.
History
The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 2-0 victory for Germany in 2016, thanks to goals from Shkodran Mustafi and Bastian Schweinsteiger, while the previous meeting back in 2011 yielded a 3-3 draw.
Recent form is strong for both sides. Ukraine are unbeaten in ten matches at home, winning nine and drawing one, while Germany are unbeaten in eight games and five on the road.
Betting Tip
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Ukraine vs Germany | First Half 1X2 Germany @ 1.75 |
| October 11, 02:45 (GMT+8) |
Remember when SBOTOP tips were happy to back against the Germans in the aftermath of their disastrous World Cup 2018 campaign? Well, Low’s team hasn’t made a complete turnaround, but there are clear signs of progress and he has a wealth of young talent at his disposal.
I expect the visitors to put a depleted Ukraine side to the sword and will be surprised if they don’t have a lead by the break.
In the meantime, we have another busy week of international football with another friendly worth keeping an eye on this evening, when Gareth Southgate’s England have a warm up against neighbours Wales.
After that, then we’ll be back on Saturday with all the Ukraine vs Germany updates and results.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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