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Join on Telegram New Zealand return to action tonight against Ukraine in a friendly game with confidence sky-high.
Kick-off is at 10 p.m. at BMO Field, Toronto and fans can catch the action live on FS2 and FOX Sports app.
Darren Bazeley’s men are unbeaten in eight and haven’t lost in almost 15 months. The 1-0 win over Cote D’Ivoire last weekend was their fourth clean sheet in a row and their eighth consecutive home victory. Add 34 goals scored across those matches, and the All Whites look primed for another dominant outing.
Kosta Barbarouses is likely to lead the line again, flanked by Elijah Just – who netted the winner on Sunday – and Callum McCowatt. In midfield, Joe Bell anchors things with support from Sarpreet Singh and Marko Stamenic.
But Tuesday’s visitors are no pushovers. Ukraine, under Serhiy Rebrov, will provide a far sterner test than New Zealand’s recent opposition. Belgium narrowly beat the Blue and Yellow in their Nations League playoff and are coming off a 4-2 defeat to Canada – a match in which they dominated possession but fell apart defensively.
That result was Ukraine’s second loss in a row and exposed vulnerabilities at the back. They’ve conceded seven goals in their last two matches and have only one win from their last five away games. With World Cup qualifiers against France looming, they’ll be desperate to turn the tide.
Ukraine may be without key midfielder Mykola Shaparenko after he went off injured in the Canada match. Oleksandr Pikhalyonok could step in, while goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk is expected to start after Anatoliy Trubin was taken off at the weekend.
Possible lineups:
New Zealand: Crocombe; Bindon, Tuiloma, Surman, Cacace; Stamenic, Bell, Singh; Just, Barbarouses, McCowatt
Ukraine: Riznyk; Matviyenko, Bondar, Zabarnyi, Tymchyk; Kalyuzhnyi; Tsygankov, Pikhalyonok, Zinchenko, Sudakov; Yaremchuk
Predicted score:
It’s a real test for both sides. New Zealand want to prove they can beat tougher opposition. Ukraine need to rediscover form and defensive shape. Given recent trends, the home side may just have the edge.
MWN say: New Zealand 2-1 Ukraine
