Live updates: Albania loses 1-2 to Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League

Ukraine scores a header in extra time to clinch narrow victory

TIRANA, Albania, March 27, 2024 - Ukraine scored a late winner in extra time to defeat Albania 2-1 in their UEFA Nations League match on Monday, claiming a narrow victory in a fiercely contested match played in front of a packed crowd at the Arena Kombetare in Tirana, Albania.

Albania takes an early lead

Albania had a strong start to the match, and they took the lead in the 25th minute when Ermal Krasniqi found the back of the net with a well-taken strike. Ukraine pushed for an equalizer, but the Albanian defense held firm, and the hosts went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

Ukraine equalizes in the second half

Ukraine came out with more purpose in the second half, and they eventually found their equalizer in the 65th minute.Artem Dovbyk headed home a cross from Vitaliy Mykolenko to bring the visitors level.

Late drama as Ukraine wins in extra time

The match remained closely contested in the latter stages, with both sides having chances to win it. However, it was Ukraine who eventually found the winning goal in the first half of extra time. Oleksandr Zinchenko delivered an inch-perfect cross to the head of Dovbyk, who made no mistake from close range to give Ukraine a dramatic 2-1 victory.

Reaction from the managers

"I'm very disappointed with the result," said Albania coach Edoardo Reja. "We had a good game, and we deserved at least a point. But we made some mistakes in the second half, and Ukraine punished us."

"I'm delighted with the win," said Ukraine coach Serhiy Rebrov. "We showed great character to come back from a goal down. This is a big win for us, and it gives us a great chance of qualifying for the Nations League finals."

What's next for Albania and Ukraine?

Albania will now face Kazakhstan in their next match on June 10, while Ukraine will take on England on the same day. Both matches will be played in the UEFA Nations League.