Slovakia vs Ukraine live updates (2024)

Two more matches to come at Euro 2024 today.

And the first of those kicks off in exactly half an hour's time as Poland and Austria meet in Group D before France and the Netherlands do battle.

You can find our live coverage of Poland vs Austria here.

A very well-taken equalising goal and a great assist for Roman Yaremchuk's winning goal are enough for Mykola Sheparenko to be awarded UEFA's Player of the Match award.

Without the 25-year-old, Ukraine may well have been looking at elimination.

Had Slovakia held on for a point, or gone on to win the game themselves, I have no doubt that Stanislav Lobotka would have been the recipient of that award — he was excellent.

Ukraine secured their place at Euro 2024 on the back of 2-1 wins from behind.

They came from 0-1 down to beat Bosnia in the Euro 2024 play-off semi-final, then came back from 0-1 down to beat Iceland in the final to get to the tournament.

They were blown away in their Group E opener by Romania, but managed to find another hugely important come back when their future in this tournament was on the line.

That winning goal is Roman Yaremchuk's third at the European Championship, which makes him Ukraine's all-time leading goalscorer in this competition.

He has also become the only Ukraine player to score in two separate European Championships.

And stationed right at the front of the players in front of the Ukraine supporters is the match-winner, Roman Yaremchuk.

The 28-year-old cannot quite contain his emotions as the cameras showed him wiping a tear from his eyes.

An incredible noise in the stadium as Ukraine hang on to win: the players go over to where most of the fans are at one end and perform a modified thunderclap in unison.

It's quite a sight to behold.

That victory means Ukraine join Slovakia and Romania on three points in Group E.

Surprisingly, Belgium are lagging behind but they are strongly fancied to also chalk up three points in their game against Romania tomorrow.

There is now a very real chance that the four teams will go into the final round of fixtures tied on the same amount of points.

Ukraine looked really down and, potentially out of the tournament, but they showed super determination and quality to turn it around. Slovakia maybe relaxed a bit too, thinking they were already set for the knock-outs.

The group really well set-up now, and Belgium will want to beat Romania tomorrow or they'll be in real trouble.

FT Slovakia 1-2 Ukraine

And there goes the full-time whistle in Dusseldorf!

Ukraine have secured their first victory of Euro 2024 — and they did it the hard way. Goals from Shaparenko and Yaremchuk have got them on the board at this tournament, just as things started to look bleak.

Slovakia are beaten, but remain in contention for the knockouts having beaten Belgium in their opener.

90+3' Slovakia 1-2 Ukraine

This tournament been full of late equalisers and winners, and Vavro could have added another one for Slovakia there.

But the centre-back took a wild swing at it and missed the ball almost completely when it fell to him unmarked at the last corner.

90+1' Slovakia 1-2 Ukraine

Slovakia will have five more minutes to find an equaliser.

It is worth remembering that there were stoppage-time equalisers in the early matches yesterday and on Wednesday.

90' Slovakia 1-2 Ukraine

The first decent chance in a while for Slovakia saw Vavro rise highest from a near-post corner, but there were no takers at the far post where his header was directed.

They might not have been able to get a touch on it, but a strange tactic to send a corner to the near post and leave the far post without any threat.

87' Slovakia 1-2 Ukraine

Now, unsurprisingly, it is Slovakia having to do all the attacking. But they look desperate and they have really struggled to create anything since going behind.

18-year-old Leo Sauer has been introduced in an attempt to salvage something from this Group E clash.

85' Slovakia 1-2 Ukraine

More fresh legs for Ukraine as Brazhko and Mudryk, pictured, are withdrawn — on in their places are Ruslan Malinovsky and Sergiy Sydorchuk.

84' Slovakia 1-2 Ukraine

There isn't much that this Yaremchuk cameo is missing now that he has been shown the game's first yellow card.

On the border of his side's defensive third, he dived into a sliding tackle on Skriniar and missed it by a long way, sending the Inter centre-back crashing to the turf.

A striker's tackle, I think they call that.

82' Slovakia 1-2 Ukraine

The much-maligned Yaremchuk with one back for his critics there — superb control with his toe and then the delicate finish to embarrass Dubravka.

81' Slovakia 1-2 Ukraine

What a goal!

Shaparenko at the heart of it again with a lofted pass over the defence and into the path of Yaremchuk who was racing into the Slovakia penalty area. His first touch was exquisite — almost Zidane-eqsue — and then he deftly nudged the ball past Dubravka and over the line — sublime from the substitute!

80' Slovakia 1-2 Ukraine

Yaremchuk makes amends in some style to give Ukraine the lead!

78' Slovakia 1-1 Ukraine

Interesting to see how Slovakian coach Francesco Calzona will treat this final 15 or so minutes. With a draw in their back pocket, do they just hold out for the draw which will likely ensure qualification — or push forward for the win which would see them in pole position to top the group?

If it's the latter, he may well turn to 18-year-old winger Leo Sauer, the national team's youngest ever player. I watched him play for Feyenoord twice when on a visit to the Netherlands in April — and he made me feel like dancing.

77' Slovakia 1-1 Ukraine

Yaremchuk did so well to turn his man on the half-way line there, but then so badly to push Mudryk so wide with the pass, so he had to stretch so much to shoot that he almost injured himself.

The defending by Skriniar was pretty good though, making it as difficult as possible for the striker to manage the two-on-one.