Game 8: Romania vs Ukraine live from the Fußball Arena München. BBC1 2pm

[Coulthard's Jaw]

Possible line-ups

Romania: Moldovan; Burcă, Drăgușin, Rus, Bancu; Marius Marin, Răzvan Marin; Stanciu, Man, Drăguș, Mihăila

Ukraine: Lunin; Konoplia, Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Zinchenko; Shaparenko, Stepanenko, Sudakov; Tsygankov, Dovbyk, Mudryk

This is the first time ever Romania and Ukraine have played each other in a major tournament.

Ukraine are backed by the Opta supercomputer to defeat Romania, winning 42.6% of pre-match simulations.

Mark Chapman presents coverage, with commentary by

 and 

Edited June 16 by Coulthard's Jaw

[cafcrocky]

The game designed to provide a distraction from work. But not expecting much from it to be honest.

[Rob1981]

I gave Romania "potential dark horse" status, based on their qualifying results.  So expect them to get pumped here about 4-0.

[Haguey]

I don't really know much about either team but they both seem pretty average on paper despite Ukraine possibly having more familiar names - I went for a score draw.

[RTHerringbone]

Dovbyk is inevitably being linked to loads of clubs following his prolific season at Girona. I'm hoping Romania do some sort of repeat of the France '98 hair-dye madness.

[GunmaN1905]

This is the game that separates real football fans from casuals.

The 3AM Japan - Ivory Coast of this tournament.

[oche balboa]

Has a 1-1 draw written over it 

[Muttley84]

Anything other than a loss for us (Romania) would be a great achievement. despite the qualification result, our game is so bad and we have the cheapest squad on transfermarkt from all the teams at the euro. but if Ukraine make the mistake of going all attack on us we might get something out of the game...

[mrw072]

I've gone for Ukraine to win, purely because they have more recognisable players in their squad.  

[GunmaN1905]

[CFuller]

The first "shouldn't you be at work?" game of these Euros.

One for the purists and completionists. Goalless draw written all over. (Either that or Dovbyk scores a hat-trick. )

Edited June 17 by CFuller

[ham_aka_stam]

Romania to try and stack their right side to defend against Mudryk, Stepananko and Zinchenko, only for a goal to come from the other side.

I reckon 1-0 Ukraine.

[craigcwwe]

Denis Man, remember him as a bit of a good, lowkey, cheap pickup on FM several years ago.  

[Barry Cartman]

Interesting that Zinchenko is at left back, only played there a few times for his country 

Edited June 17 by Barry Cartman

[Anthrax Dave]

'mon Ukraine

[ReggaeBwoy]

1 minute ago, Barry Cartman said:

Interesting that Zinchenko is at left back, only played there a few times for his country 

Think he is only playing there ay Myolenko injured, otherwise would be CM. 

Hoping for Mudryk to step up today.

[GunmaN1905]

2 minutes ago, craigcwwe said:

Denis Man, remember him as a bit of a good, lowkey, cheap pickup on FM several years ago.  

He was supposed to be the next NT leader, but stagnated.

There's still time, he's 25 and had a great season in Parma's promotion.

1 minute ago, Barry Cartman said:

Interesting that Zinchenko is at left back, only played for a few times for his country 

Mykolenko is injured.

[Pukey]

I enjoy that Romania have a keeper called Moldovan. 

[Rob1981]

No Yarmolenko...  

Already a squad member in 2012, 2016 and 2020... so there is a chance for him to join the list of Euros four-timers if he gets on.

Before today he had started all 11 of the previous Euros games in Ukraine's entire history

[CFuller]

2 minutes ago, Pukey said:

I enjoy that Romania have a keeper called Moldovan. 

I still remember Viorel Moldovan from France '98.

[Rob1981]

Still not sure why they have put all the mascots in an Ecuador kit.

[lovenkrands01]

5 minutes ago, Rob1981 said:

Still not sure why they have put all the mascots in an Ecuador kit.

Am I being a thicko, this a joke? Cos I genuinely thought that too

[Freakiie]

Am I the only one confused by Lunin starting ahead of Trubin? Can't say I've followed Benfica, but I thought Trubin was the next big thing, whereas Lunin was hardly convincing at Real Madrid in the couple games I saw.

[Rob1981]

1 minute ago, lovenkrands01 said:

Am I being a thicko, this a joke? Cos I genuinely thought that too

I think the mascots are in the Lidl brand colours because Lidl are a key sponsor.  But definitely looks like a knocked off Ecuador top

[lovenkrands01]

2 minutes ago, Rob1981 said:

I think the mascots are in the Lidl brand colours because Lidl are a key sponsor.  But definitely looks like a knocked off Ecuador top

Decent kit, might get it

[RTHerringbone]

The Romanian fans are making an incredible racket.

[Darius1998]

8 minutes ago, Freakiie said:

Am I the only one confused by Lunin starting ahead of Trubin? Can't say I've followed Benfica, but I thought Trubin was the next big thing, whereas Lunin was hardly convincing at Real Madrid in the couple games I saw.

Might be the only part Rebrov was interested in.

I like this Ukrainian front 4, good amount of talent in there.

[Rob1981]

6 minutes ago, RTHerringbone said:

The Romanian fans are making an incredible racket.

Proper tournament game this.  Colourful kits, red hot weather, random weekday afternoon match slot, third choice commentary team dispatched to cover the unfashionable sides.

Magical stuff.

Imagine moaning about 24 teams when we would otherwise just be twiddling our thumbs waiting for the 5pm kickoff.

 

[nsd]

1 minute ago, Rob1981 said:

Proper tournament game this.  Colourful kits, red hot weather, random weekday afternoon match slot, third choice commentary team dispatched to cover the unfashionable sides.

Magical stuff.

Imagine moaning about 24 teams when we would otherwise just be twiddling our thumbs waiting for the 5pm kickoff.

 

and it's the type of game you pick who to support based on totally arbitrary factors. I'm fully behind Romania because I've recently made a new Romanian friend and I've managed Rapid Bucharest a couple of times on FM 

[RTHerringbone]

3 minutes ago, Rob1981 said:

Proper tournament game this.  Colourful kits, red hot weather, random weekday afternoon match slot, third choice commentary team dispatched to cover the unfashionable sides.

Magical stuff.

Imagine moaning about 24 teams when we would otherwise just be twiddling our thumbs waiting for the 5pm kickoff.

 

Parts of Germany are expected to hit 30 degrees in the next couple of days. May be a bit of a factor in some of the midweek games.

[CFuller]

It's breaking my brain that Ukraine now have a player called Konoplya, not Konoplyanka.

[GunmaN1905]

5 minutes ago, RTHerringbone said:

Parts of Germany are expected to hit 30 degrees in the next couple of days. May be a bit of a factor in some of the midweek games.

30 degree is mild weather in June.

Remember 2006? Was way hotter. Croatia-Japan in Nunberg at 3pm was unplayable, was close to 40C.

[GunmaN1905]

Golasoooooooooooooooooo.

[Darius1998]

What a hit

[CFuller]

Nicusor Stanciu!!!

[Coulthard's Jaw]

WHAT A GOAL

[RTHerringbone]

Pick that out! Goal of the tournament so far.

[metal_guitarist]

Goal of the tournament so far, what a hit

[arenaross]

GOODNESS ME

[Pukey]

What a bloody goal

[craigcwwe]

What a goal. 

[EnterUsernameHere]

What a strike

[TM]

there's the reward for the hardcore, what a finish

[Rob1981]

haha, what a hit

[Freakiie]

So, again about Lunin playing ahead of Trubin?

What a shot though.

[Tikka Mezzala]

He could not have hit that any sweeter. First time too. 

[Goldy]

Two keepers wouldn't have kept that out, cracking shot

[SouthCoastRed]

A Romanian thunderbastard

[RTHerringbone]

2 minutes ago, GunmaN1905 said:

30 degree is mild weather in June.

Remember 2006? Was way hotter. Croatia-Japan in Nunberg at 3pm was unplayable, was close to 40C.

The Northern reaches of Europe can and will moan about these temperatures 

[RTHerringbone]

I never thought I'd need to know rotations per second of a football, but that definitely looked like a 10