ITALY V UKRAINE MATCH PRESS KIT Municipal, Agueda Friday, 26 May 2006 - 19:45 Local Time Final Tournament - Group Phase Group B - Matchday 4
ITALY v UKRAINE MATCH PRESS KIT Municipal, Agueda Friday, 26 May 2006 - 19:45 local time Final tournament - Group phase Group B - Matchday 4 Ukraine, appearing in their first finals, go into the second round of matches leading UEFA European Under-21 Championship Group B after Artem Milevskiy shone in their 2-1 victory against the Netherlands on Wednesday. Their ambitions will face a stern test when they return to the Estádio Municipal in Agueda to face holders Italy, who will take plenty of confidence from their 3-3 draw against Denmark after fighting back from 3-1 down. • The two countries were previously drawn together in Group 4 of the qualifying round of the 1996 competition, with Ukraine winning the first encounter at the Olyimpiyskiy stadium in Kiev 2-1. Dmytro Mykhayilenko and Serhiy Rebrov struck in each half to give the Ukrainians a two-goal advantage and Fabio Galante's 83rd-minute effort was too little, too late for the visitors. • The Italians would have the last laugh, however, triumphing by the same scoreline in the reverse fixture in Matera to take three crucial points. The hosts made the perfect start with Raffaele Ametrano registering in the first minute and, although Vitaliy Kossovskyi replied just before the hour, Nicola Amoruso gave Italy victory. That would prove decisive as the Azzurrini held off Ukraine to top the section by a single point and went on to lift the trophy, defeating Spain on penalties in the final. • The score was again 2-1 when the teams played in the qualifying round of the 2002 European U17 Championship, Tonino Sorrentino putting the Italians ahead only for Olexandr Maxymov – part of Ukraine's U21 squad in Portugal – and Yuriy Kholopkin to turn the game around.
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