Ukraine vs. Ireland Predictions: Back the hosts to continue their good form tonight

Thankfully, we’re into the final round of Nations League games, for the summer, at least. It’s been a difficult time for many countries, with regular players looking tired after a long domestic season, but tonight’s game could be a chance to end the campaign on a high.

Our resident Irish fan, Pete Marsden, has previewed their game against Ukraine tonight, which takes place in the neutral city of Lodz, due to the ongoing war.

The Ukrainians will come into this game highly motivated, and after a polished performance against Ireland at the Aviva, will be looking to increase their 100% record in the Nations League. Despite the pain of missing out on the World Cup, they know that every time they step out on the pitch they’re doing their fellow countrymen proud, and a 3-0 win against Armenia would have been sure to put smiles on faces, no matter how long for.

Ireland had a troubled start to this Nations League campaign. Outplayed by Ukraine in Dublin, they then suffered a shock defeat to Armenia after a pathetic performance. However, a rousing team display against Scotland has got the mood back up in camp, with some quality performances from Stephen Kenny’s side. It could be an interesting tie tonight, and I’ve picked out two tips that have caught my eye.

First off, we’re looking to Ukraine’s Ruslan Malinovskyi to score tonight. The midfielder is in good form for his nation coming into this game, with a goal and a man of the match performance against Armenia, and an assist in their World Cup Qualifier against Scotland. He is regarded as a set piece specialist and possesses a powerful and accurate shot with either foot. Expect to see him threaten as the Ukrainians move through the thirds of the pitch, and they’ll look to get some shots off to give the ‘home’ crowd something to shout about.

This bet is well priced with Bet365 at 11/4.

Secondly, we’re looking at Ukraine to win and BTTS. Despite their loss to Wales, the home side come into this fixture in great form, with that defeat their only one in their last 10 in all competitions. In that time, this pick has only landed on two occasions, but impressive wins against Finland, Ireland and Bosnia, coupled with draws against France and Czech, show how much quality they have.

One of the bigger criticisms of Ireland in recent times is their lack of a killer instinct in front of goal, but a renewed performance with three goals against the Scots shows that they can put on a show when they’re in the mood. Good performances from the likes of Browne, Parrott and Obafemi should put them in good stead for this game to at least create some goal scoring opportunities, but in the end, the Ukrainians should have too much for them, and it looks a good snip at 15/4.