In the semi-final of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, the Ukrainian national team played a match that pushed them to their limits. In a grueling battle against Germany, the "blue and yellows" managed to take the lead and maintain equilibrium for almost 90 minutes, but conceded a decisive goal in stoppage time. This result was a bitter disappointment for the Ukrainians, yet their performance at the tournament remained outstanding.
Historical Goal and Equalizer
Despite the Germans seizing the initiative from the first minutes and forcing the Ukrainians to play defensively, it was the visitors who opened the scoring. In the 43rd minute, Mykola Kaluzhny made an excellent delivery from the left flank, and striker Vitaliy Hlut headed the ball into the center of the goal. This is already the third goal for the forward at the tournament.
This goal held special significance: for the first time in the last five matches at youth European Championships, Ukraine managed to score against Germany. In the four previous head-to-head encounters, the Ukrainians could not breach the opponent's net.
However, holding the advantage until halftime proved impossible. In stoppage time of the first half (at the 45+2 minute mark), 19-year-old "Hamburg" striker Otto Stange received a pass in the penalty area, dribbled past a defender, and struck accurately into the bottom corner. The score became level — 1:1.
Goalkeeper Heroics and a Fatal Error
The second half unfolded in a "counter-attack" style. Both teams created numerous chances, but the main hero of the Ukrainian defense was goalkeeper Nazar Domchak. He made several crucial saves, including winning a one-on-one duel against Otto Stange, who had scored the first goal for the Germans.
The match seemed destined for extra time. But in the 90+1 minute, the opponent delivered a crushing blow. Francis Onyeka took advantage of a pass from a teammate in the box and beat Domchak with a one-touch finish from close range. This goal proved decisive.
Tournament Summary and the Future
The German national team advanced to the Euro 2026 final, where they will face Spain. Ukraine concluded their campaign but achieved their main strategic success. In the group stage, the Ukrainians convincingly defeated Croatia (3:1), snatched victory from Serbia (2:1), and narrowly beat the favorites — Italy (1:0).
By finishing first in their group, the team coached by Dmytro Mykhailenko guaranteed themselves a license to participate in the 2027 U-20 World Cup. This was the tournament's primary objective, and it was achieved ahead of schedule.
Recall that the best achievement of the Ukraine U-19 team in the history of European championships remains the gold medal of 2009, won at the home tournament in Donetsk and Mariupol.
