Ukraine’s first match since the war broke out.
In preparation for the World Cup playoffs, the nation played an emotional friendly match against Borussia Mönchengladbach – and won 2-1.
There were great tributes, thousands of fans and many tears that greeted the Ukrainian national football team when they stepped out to play the first match since Russia’s invasion of the country.
When the match against Borussia Mönchengladbach , a middle team in the German Bundesliga , got off to a good start, Ukraine got off to a dream start.
Already in the ninth minute, Mykhailo Mudryk gave the country the lead when he in a free position rounded the goalkeeper and put the ball in an open cage.
Shortly afterwards, the Germans equalized, but Ukraine would still be the winner in the emotional match.
Decided in the final minutes
Oleksandr Pikhalyonok decided the match with the 2-1 goal in the 82nd minute to great cheers at Borussia-Park.
However, the Ukrainian national team lacked its biggest stars and the squad consisted largely of players from Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Due to the war, Ukraine’s World Cup playoff match against Scotland has been postponed.
It will be played on June 1 at Hampden Park in Glasgow. The winner will face Wales in a direct decisive match for a place in the World Cup in Qatar.
The nation that moves on ends up in a World Cup group with England, Iran and the USA.