Ukraine vs Azerbaijan: Victory in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers and Group D Intrigue
The Ukraine-Azerbaijan match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers became a test of character, concentration, and the ability to respond under pressure. After a draw with this opponent in September, Serhiy Rebrov’s team had to prove: second place in Group D is not the limit of their ambitions, but only a stage in the fight for a place at the World Cup.
From the first minutes, Azerbaijan showed it was not going to just sit back and defend. In the 4th minute, Akhundzade found himself one-on-one with Trubin, but the Ukrainian goalkeeper demonstrated reliability by parrying the shot from inside the penalty area.
The “Blue and Yellows” quickly responded with a sharp attack Konoplia crossed from the right to Malinovskyi, who took a one-touch shot on goal, but here too, Magomedaliyev was alert.
Afterwards, Ukraine seized the initiative: Konoplia fired powerfully from outside the penalty area, the ball hit the crossbar, and Ocheretko’s follow-up went just over.
Opening the Score and Dramatic Developments
In the 30th minute, Malinovskyi delivered a free kick, Hutsulyak won the aerial duel, and headed the ball into the net 1:0. This was a logical result of Ukraine’s positional advantage, but Azerbaijan did not give up.
In the 37th minute, Dovbyk was twice close to scoring, first missing just wide, and then forcing Magomedaliyev to make another save.
It seemed the first half would end with a minimal lead for the hosts, but the visitors launched a counterattack, and Akhundzade finished the cross 1:1 (in fact, the ball was deflected into the net by Mykolenko, but in the official protocol, the goal was credited to Akhundzade).
“Last time, we lost concentration at the end of the half and the opponent took advantage,” Serhiy Rebrov admitted after the match.
Second Half: Nerves, Attacks, and the Decisive Goal
The start of the second half was also dangerous for Ukraine Bayramov nearly scored against Trubin, but the ball went wide. Dovbyk immediately responded with a dangerous shot, again forcing the visitors’ goalkeeper into action.
In the middle of the second half, the Ukrainians organized a textbook combination: Voloshyn sent the ball into the penalty area to Hutsulyak, who instantly passed to Malinovskyi, and Ruslan powerfully struck from six meters 2:1.
After this goal, the game evened out, and in the closing stages, Voloshyn could have consolidated the lead, but after VAR review the goal was cancelled due to a foul by Bondarenko.
“We worked until the last minute and deserved this victory,” Malinovskyi emphasized in the post-match flash interview.
Post List
Key Details: Fight, Substitutions, Discipline
There was plenty of tough play in the match. The Ukrainians received three yellow cards (Malinovskyi, Mykhailichenko, Bondarenko), Azerbaijan one (Magomedaliyev). Rebrov made active use of substitutions: in the second half, Mykhailichenko, Shaparenko, Bondarenko, Kaliuzhnyi, and Bondar appeared on the field.
Ukraine’s lineup: Trubin Konoplia (Mykhailichenko), Zabarnyi, Matviyenko, Mykolenko Malinovskyi (Shaparenko), Hutsulyak (Kaliuzhnyi), Ocheretko (Bondarenko), Yarmolyuk (Bondar), Voloshyn—Dovbyk.
Tournament Intrigue: What’s Next
After this win, Ukraine moves to second place in Group D with 7 points (France-10, Iceland-4, Azerbaijan-1). In a parallel match, France failed to beat Iceland, keeping the group open: in the final rounds, Ukraine will play France and Iceland, while Azerbaijan faces Iceland and France.
Ukraine demonstrated character, game maturity, and the ability to find their moments under pressure. The key was a return of aggression in attack and discipline in defense, despite the challenging course of the game. The victory allows Ukraine to maintain its chances of advancing from the group and proves Rebrov’s team can get results when it matters most.
“We worked until the last minute and deserved this victory,” Malinovskyi.
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