After losing to Wales on Sunday and failing to qualify for the World Cup, Ukraine will kick off its Nations League campaign on the road against Ireland. You can live-bet on the UNL action by using our sportsbook.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and UEFA Nations League for Ireland vs Ukraine. We’ve plenty of Soccer predictions for you to consider.
Ireland: Transitional period
Ireland’s Nations League campaign couldn’t have gotten off to a much worse start, as they were defeated by FIFA’s 92nd-ranked side, Armenia, 1-0 on the road. While it has long been accepted that Ireland are going through something of a transitional period, the fans understandably expected more from Stephen Kenny in his first year on the job.
Despite dominating possession and creating many scoring opportunities, Ireland failed to convert their chances into goals. Kenny’s side does not have any important recent wins under their belt, with the best being a 3-0 victory in Azerbaijan. Ireland have lost just twice in 13 fixtures across all competitions, but they are winless in 11 UNL fixtures and we don’t expect them to bounce back on Wednesday against Ukraine.
Five clean sheets have been recorded in their last seven fixtures, with only three goals being shipped — two against Belgium in March and one on the road against Armenia. They are now the underdogs of this group and they must step up their game in order not to get relegated to the third tier.
With Matt Doherty missing out through injury, Kenny decided to switch Seamus Coleman to right wing-back, but he will probably rethink his strategy and make some changes on Wednesday. Ireland lost their eight-game unbeaten run and suffered a ninth scoring blank in 10 UNL fixtures on a day to forget in Yerevan. They will probably have a defensive approach and try to strike on the break against a wounded Ukraine side. It’s risky to include Ireland in our soccer picks and parlays so we recommend you stay away.
Ukraine: World Cup Dream Over
Wales qualified for the World Cup for just the second time in their history as they beat Ukraine 1-0 at the Cardiff City Stadium. An own-goal from Ukrainian captain Andriy Yarmolenko was the difference between the two sides. Ukraine pushed and created several great opportunities but Wales’ goalkeeper keeper turned in a magnificent display to ensure the Dragons made it to the World Cup.
It’s hard to forget that match so fast, but Ukraine must now return to winning ways as they kick off their Nations League campaign on the road. Ukraine is led by Oleksandr Zinchenko. The star midfielder plays for English Premier League champions Manchester City. While Zinchenko is often the main focus for opponents, they must watch out for 26-year-old Roman Yaremchuk, who’s in great scoring form.
Ukraine dominated both Scotland and Wales and they will probably do it against Ireland, but coach Oleksandr Petrakov is expected to rest many of his key players after two tough games in which they gave their soul on the pitch. The World Cup dream is over and they are probably affected by that result, which will count a lot on Wednesday against Ireland. We all love the way they play but if you’re betting online, it’s not the correct time to bet on them.
Ireland vs Ukraine Head-to-Head
This is the first time the two sides face each other in a competitive fixture. Ukraine saw their 11-game unbeaten run across all competitions come to an end last weekend against Wales. They scored in 11 of their previous 12 fixtures. On the road, they scored at least twice in six of their last nine outings. On the other side, Ireland are winless in their previous 11 Nations League fixtures, but they managed to stay undefeated in eight matches across all competitions before losing to Armenia.
Ireland vs Ukraine Game Information
- Game: Ireland (0-0-1) vs Ukraine (0-0-0)
- Location: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
- Day/Time: Wednesday, 2:45 p.m. ET
- Ireland vs Ukraine Live Stream: fuboTV
Ireland vs Ukraine Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Rep. of Ireland | pk -155 | +135 | 2 -130o | 1½ +165o 1½ -210u |
| Ukraine | pk +125 | +225 | 2 Evu | ½ -200o ½ +160u |
| Draw | +220 |
Ireland vs Ukraine Predictions
The hosts enter this clash as slight favorites being priced at +135 on the three-way moneyline according to the latest soccer betting while the goal line is set at two.
Ukraine will definitely not fight the same way they did against Scotland and Wales and we will see many changes in the starting lineup. To return to winning ways after such disappointment would show incredible character and winning mentality. With Ukraine’s last back-to-back international losses coming back in November 2020, a bounce-back may be the perfect boost ahead of their push for an instant return to League A.
Ireland are not a bad team and the defeat to Armenia doesn’t show their real quality. They are packed with many decent players and they are playing on home soil. They will also try to take advantage of Ukraine’s lack of confidence. For our official pick, we are going with a value bet and we will take the draw. In terms of goals, we’re expecting a low-scoring affair.
