On May 17, Ukraine national team played the second friendly while getting ready for the 2022 World Cup playoff and the Nations League. The Yellow-Blues faced the Italian Serie A side Empoli FC at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.
Five FC Dynamo Kyiv players were in our national team starting lineup – defenders Olexandr Karavayev, Denys Popov, halfbacks Viktor Tsyhankov and Mykola Shaparenko. Heorhiy Bushchan, Serhiy Sydorchuk and Vitaliy Buialskyi took the field in the second half.
Home side had some chances early in the game, but the score was opened by our team. Tsyhankov found Yaremchuk with accurate pass and Roman sent the ball past the goalkeeper – 0:1.
Still the score was equalized before the break. La Mantia hit the target at the second attempt – 1:1.
In the second half two more goals were scored by Ukrainians. At first Karavayev did well at follow-up after shot by Yaremchuk and then Pikhalionok made it 3:1 from outside the box.
Friendly
Empoli – Ukraine – 1:3
Ukraine: Piatov (Bushchan, 46), Karavayev, Zabarnyi, Popov (Bondar, 78), Matviyenko, Pikhalionok (Sydorchuk, 84), Stepanenko, Tsyhankov (Zubkov, 78), Shaparenko, Mudryk (Buialskyi, 84), Yaremchuk.
Goals: La Mantia (45) – Yaremchuk (26), Karavayev (46), Pikhalionok (53).
Photo – UAF
