Winner of Ukraine vs Belgium Advances
Ukraine vs Belgium Prediction, Odds, Match Preview
Both Sides Bounced Back in Second Matches
Ukraine and Belgium both lost their Euro 2024 openers. Now, they both have the opportunity to win Group E after bouncing back and grabbing wins in their second matches. While the winner of Wednesday’s Ukraine vs Belgium match won’t automatically win the group, they will at least book a spot in the round of 16. While the latest odds favor Belgium, we’ll discuss whether they’re worth taking in this match.
Read on for our Ukraine vs Belgium prediction ahead of a crucial group stage closer.
Ukraine vs Belgium
Date & Time: Wednesday, June 26th, 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany
Ukraine vs Belgium Head-to-Head
Surprisingly, this is the first-ever meeting between Ukraine and Belgium. So, our Ukraine vs. Belgium prediction won’t be based on past head-to-head results.
Trubin Replaces Lunin in Ukraine Net
Ukraine put in a highly disappointing performance in their first match of Euro 2024. Against Romania, Ukraine dominated the first 20 minutes but couldn’t create any real chances. Romania went on to win 3-0, helped by a couple of goalkeeping errors from Andriy Lunin. The loss put Ukraine in last place in the Group E UEFA Euro standings.
Lunin had an excellent season with Real Madrid, but coach Serhiy Rebrov replaced him with Anatoliy Trubin in the second match. Trubin made four saves as Ukraine defeated Slovakia 2-1 in their second match. Ukraine fell behind 1-0 but fought back as Mykola Shaparenko and Roman Yaremchuk got on the scoresheet. Yaremchuk’s goal was a thing of beauty, and he could be in line to start ahead of Artem Dovbyk.
Ukraine managed to reach the Quarter-Finals of Euro 2020 and they’re certainly better than the 3-0 loss against Romania showed. This year, Ukraine are 4-1-2, and they qualified for Euro 2024 by defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland in the play-offs. Rebrov wasn’t afraid to make changes for the second match and he’ll pick the team best suited to get a result versus Belgium.
| Key Stats | Ukraine | Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| Matches Played | 2 | 2 |
| Won | 1 | 1 |
| Draw | 0 | 0 |
| Lost | 1 | 1 |
| Goals | 2 | 2 |
| Total Attempts | 28 | 34 |
| Passing Accuracy (%) | 88 | 86 |
| Attacks | 97 | 106 |
| Balls Recovered | 76 | 66 |
| Saves | 6 | 7 |
| Yellow Cards | 2 | 4 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
Belgium: Kept Clean Sheet Against Romania
Belgium also suffered a disappointing defeat in their opening match. In the biggest upset in European Championship history, at least in terms of FIFA World Rankings, Belgium fell 1-0 to Slovakia. The Red Devils had a ton of chances, and Romelu Lukaku had two goals called back due to VAR interventions. In their second match, Belgium took on Romania and one of coach Domenico Tedesco’s adjustments paid off.
Youri Tielemans scored within two minutes of his first Euro 2024 start and Kevin De Bruyne made it 2-0 in the second half. With all teams in Group E tied on three points, Belgium are currently in second based on goal difference and goals scored. Jan Vertonghen missed the first match due to injury but Belgium’s all-time appearances leader started in defense in the second match.
His and Arthur Theate’s inclusions helped Belgium keep their fourth clean sheet in six matches this year. Under Tedesco, Belgium are 11-4-1 and they were one of the most popular soccer picks to win their group. For that to become a reality, nothing other than a win will suffice.
Ukraine vs Belgium Match Analysis & Odds
No one wants to be the runner up in Group E. The UEFA Euro brackets show a matchup between the second place team in Group E will likely take on one of the Netherlands or France in the knockout stage. Expect both teams to go for all three points here in a bid to advance and avoid an unfavorable round of 16 matchup.
Belgium are currently -155 favorites for this match but they’ve done little to inspire confidence thus far. Plus, winger Dodi Lukebakio is suspended. We saw how Belgium crashed out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup early and wouldn’t be shocked if they meet the same fate here. Meanwhile, Ukraine (+420) have also been underwhelming despite high pre-tournament expectations.
A draw comes in at +310. Based on how other results have played out, it would be enough for both sides to advance unless the Slovakia vs. Romania game also finishes level. At the moment, bettors can take Ukraine +0.5, +1 at +105 odds and Belgium -0.5, -1 at -120.
Here, under 2.5, 3 goals sits at -130. However, our Ukraine vs Belgium prediction is both teams to score (-140). Both defenses have their weak points and with both teams wanting to go for it, there could be a couple goals in this one.
| Team | Handicap |
|---|---|
| Ukraine | +1 -140 |
| Belgium | -1 +120 |
