John Terry and Andriy Shevchenko
John Terry and Andriy Shevchenko

Ukraine v England: Past meetings and a 'Ghost Goal' you might have forgotten ahead of Euro 2020 quarter-final


While we all remember Frank Lampard's 'Ghost goal' against Germany at the 2010 World Cup - one of many ghouls exorcised by England's euphoric win over their old rivals on Tuesday - the Three Lions' quarter-final opponents Ukraine have their own goal gripe that might have slipped your memory.

Memories can indeed be selective things. While many Three Lions fans have spent the past decade yearning for revenge over Lampard's goal-that-never-was, it's fair to say the name Marko Devic probably doesn't ring even the faintest of bells for most.

But for Ukraine, he's their Lampard. A man who scored a legitimate goal against England in the Euro 2012 group stages - but one that was never given as the officials failed to see the ball had crossed the line before John Terry hooked it away.

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The Ukrainians will have two survivors from that night nine years ago when the sides meet in Rome on Saturday - West Ham forward Andriy Yarmolenko and veteran keeper Andriy Pyatov, now a back-up. Three if you count boss Andriy Shevchenko. Popular name over there, Andriy.

A rebuilt, youthful England side will have none. Survivors, that is. Nor Andriys for that matter. Indeed, only one man in a white shirt will have played the Ukraine before - Kyle Walker, who lined up against them in a World Cup qualifying clash in 2013, the most recent meeting between the sides.

The nations have met only seven times in total, no surprise given Ukraine only gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 - and England followers will take heart from their four wins in those clashes. Even if that 2012 one was a trifle fortunate...

Euro 2012: England 1 Ukraine 0 - and Marko Devic's 'Ghost goal'

The early 2010s were a bit of a pick 'n' mix time for the England national team - remnants of the 'Golden Generation' such as Steven Gerrard, John Terry, Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney accompanied by then-youngsters including Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Andy Carroll and Danny Welbeck.

Expectations were low going into the tournament, after the chastening World Cup exit to Germany two years earlier and the appointment of Roy Hodgson to replace Fabio Capello as manager just weeks before the competition began.

It was hardly an England squad high on depth, as evidenced by the inclusion of former Liverpool and Crystal Palace defender Martin Kelly, who earned one just cap, a two-minute friendly appearance against Norway.

Nonetheless, an opening draw against a then-in-the-doldrums France and a dramatic 3-2 triumph over Sweden almost assured qualification, while tournament co-hosts Ukraine needed a win after defeat by the French followed victory against the Swedes.

Expected Goals metrics had not been popularised eight years ago but if they had been employed, they would have shown that Ukraine, competing at the Euros for the first time then, merited at least a share of the points in the final group game in Donetsk.

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At times they peppered Joe Hart's goal, albeit many shots from range and narrowly off target, particularly after a close-range header from Rooney - who had missed the first two games through suspension - gave England an early second-half lead.

But the major let-off came when Devic found space through the middle, Joe Hart got a touch to his shot to slow its pace and a recovering Terry hooked it away from over the line - with a goal-line official (remember them?) somehow failing to spot it a few yards away. VAR, or goal-line technology if you prefer, would have given it.

Ukraine went home (well, they were home already) and England escaped, although their luck ran out, of course, at the quarter-final stage with an umpteenth tournament penalty shoot-out defeat, this time at the hands of an Andrea Pirlo-inspired Italy. Another team to add to the list of penalty pests. No more of those, please.

Ukraine prove obdurate opponents in World Cup qualifiers

Of the six other meetings between the two nations, the first two came in friendlies in 2000 and 2004 when England cruised to 2-0 and 3-0 wins - Robbie Fowler and Tony Adams scoring in the first, David Beckham, Michael Owen and Shaun Wright-Phillips in the second.

Since then, however, things have been far less straightforward, Ukraine causing England problems in successive World Cup qualifying campaigns for the 2010 and 2014 competitions, either side of that narrow - and fairly lucky - Euro 2012 triumph.

They inflicted the only blemish on England's 2010 qualifying record with a 1-0 win in the final group game in Dnipropetrovsk, albeit Capello's men had already comfortably secured their passage by then.

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Rob Green's early red card made it a long evening for the Three Lions and even though Shevchenko (who never had much luck in England or against them, did he?) hit the post with the subsequent penalty, Ukraine won it through Sergiy Nazarenko.

Shevchenko had scored in the reverse fixture, cancelling out Peter Crouch's opener at Wembley, only for Terry to pop up with a late winner. The Ukrainians must hate Terry (is he their version of our winking Ronaldo? And is it too late to get him in the dugout in a coaching capacity this weekend?)

England failed to beat Ukraine in either of the 2014 qualification meetings, a goalless draw in Kiev following a 1-1 draw at home in which Frank Lampard salvaged a point with a late penalty.

So if you put the two friendlies aside, England's record against Ukraine in competitive football is W2 D2 L1. Thus, while the Three Lions will rightly be favourites come Saturday, it's worth remembering nothing is guaranteed. England vanquished their 'Ghost Goal' gripes against Germany - could it be Ukraine's turn to do the same...?

Gareth Southgate pictured in England training
CLICK TO READ: How do England beat Ukraine?

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