Scotland v Ukraine predictions: Motivated visitors to keep World Cup dream alive

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Scotland v Ukraine in the World Cup qualifying playoff on Wednesday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event & Football, 7.45pm Wednesday

Best bet

Ukraine to qualify
1pt 13-10 Betfair, Paddy Power

Team news

Scotland
Kieran Tierney (knee) and Ryan Jack (calf) are unavailable.

Ukraine
Ukraine have not reported any major injury concerns and should be close to full strength.

Match preview

Ukraine's Oleksandr Zinchenko has described Wednesday's World Cup qualifying playoff semi-final against Scotland as "one of the most important games" of his career.

Rescheduled from March, it will be the visitors’ first competitive match since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Zinchenko has promised Ukrainians that the side will “give everything to win the game and to make them proud of us” as they seek World Cup qualification over the coming days.

Wales await the winner in Sunday’s playoff final for a place at Qatar 2022, and Ukraine look the most likely to be Cardiff-bound after the Hampden Park contest.

Oleksandr Petrakov’s men were unbeaten in qualifying as they finished runners-up to world champions France in their group.

Ukraine, who reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 last summer via a last-16 win over Sweden at Hampden, drew all four of their home matches in qualifying but they were much more productive on their travels, taking eight points from a possible 12, which included a 1-1 draw with France in Paris.

Their failure to convert more draws into wins could be attributed to a lack of potency up front.

First-choice centre-forward Roman Yaremchuk has been struggling for game time with Benfica, while key attacker Andriy Yarmolenko started just once in the Premier League for West Ham this season.

However, they are strong in defence, with talented teenager Illya Zabarnyi forging an excellent partnership with Mykola Matviyenko, and their ability to dig out positive results at the toughest of venues is something Scotland will need to be mindful of.

Scotland are similar to Ukraine in that their strength lies at the back rather than up front.

They accrued up 23 points in ten qualifying games, but it was hard work on occasions with nervy 1-0 wins recorded at home to Moldova and away to the Faroe Islands.

Scotland have shown on occasions that they can raise their game against the bigger teams and their qualification campaign ended with an eye-catching 2-0 home success over Denmark.

However, the majority of their qualifiers were tight, low-scoring affairs and there seems little reason to expect anything different on Wednesday.

With so little to choose between the teams it is tough to pick a winner, but Ukraine were tough to beat throughout qualifying and that resolve could see them qualify for Sunday’s playoff final in Cardiff.

Key stat

Ukraine are unbeaten in eight World Cup qualifiers.

Inside info

Scotland

Penalty taker Lyndon Dykes
Free-kick wizard Andy Robertson
Set-piece aerial threat Liam Cooper
Card magnet John McGinn

Ukraine

Penalty taker Andrei Yarmolenko/Ruslan Malinovskyi
Free-kick wizard Ruslan Malinovskyi
Set-piece aerial threat Roman Yaremchuk
Card magnet Oleksandr Zinchenko

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