Ukraine 2-0 Iceland Player Ratings: Zubkov Rated 8.5/10 as Late Goals Seal Crucial 2-0 Victory

The match at the Stadion Miejski Legii Warszawa im. Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego was a testament to patience. From our perspective, the first half was all Ukraine possession without any real cutting edge, summed up perfectly when Viktor Tsygankov rattled the crossbar. You could almost feel the collective groan.

Iceland, to their credit, were incredibly organized. They defended in numbers and looked to hit on the break, causing a few nervy moments for the home side. But as the game wore on, you just sensed the pressure was building and building. It took until the 83rd minute for the deadlock to finally break. Oleksandr Zubkov, who had been a livewire all game, popped up with a vital header to send the crowd into raptures. The relief was palpable.

Then, just to seal the deal in this critical WC Qualification Europe clash, a substitute got in on the act. Oleksii Hutsuliak coolly finished in stoppage time, putting the result of this match beyond any doubt. It was a hard-fought, deserved 2-0 win for Ukraine in the end, but they were made to work for every single bit of it.

Here are Ukraine Vs Iceland Player Ratings

Ukraine Player Ratings vs Iceland

Here are Ukraine Player Ratings vs Iceland

Goalkeeper

Anatoliy Trubin - 7.5: A very composed performance from the keeper. He wasn't peppered with shots but made three crucial saves inside the box when he was needed. What stood out to us was his save from Willumsson's header early in the second half; it felt like a game-defining moment. His distribution was decent enough. A clean sheet is a clean sheet.

Defenders

Yukhym Konoplya - 7.0: A bundle of energy down the right flank. He created an impressive four chances and was always looking to get forward. However, his final ball wasn't always there, and he was a bit rash at times, committing four fouls and picking up a needless yellow card. A mixed bag but more good than bad from our perspective.

Ilya Zabarnyi - 7.0: Quietly efficient, which is exactly what you want from your centre-back. His pass accuracy of 92% shows his composure on the ball, always looking to build from the back. He wasn't dominant in the air, losing a couple of duels, but his positioning was sound, and he made five important clearances. A solid, if unspectacular, outing.

Mykola Matvienko - 7.5: The captain led by example. A monstrous 10 clearances tells the story of his defensive contribution. He was a rock at the back, reading the game well and snuffing out danger before it developed. He was also comfortable stepping out with the ball, completing 88% of his passes. A real commanding presence.

Vitaliy Mykolenko - 6.5: This was a strange one to rate. Defensively, he was quite strong winning 7 of his 8 duels and recovering the ball seven times. But going forward his quality was surprisingly poor. A pass accuracy of 58% is just not good enough, and he lost possession a staggering 26 times. He worked hard, but the lack of quality on the ball was noticeable.

Midfielders

Ivan Kalyuzhnyi - 7.5: A real workhorse performance in the middle of the park. He was everywhere, breaking up play with three tackles and two interceptions. He kept the ball moving and capped off a tireless display with a well-deserved assist for the second goal. A very effective and underrated performance.

Ruslan Malinovskyi - 6.0: We expected so much more from him. He just couldn't seem to get into the game or impose his will on it. He was tidy in possession but offered little in the final third and his frustration showed with a late yellow card before being subbed. A disappointing evening for a player of his quality.

Yegor Yarmolyuk - 6.0: A neat and tidy performance without really setting the world alight. He kept things ticking over in midfield but didn't provide much of a creative spark. He lost possession a few too many times and was eventually substituted as Ukraine searched for a breakthrough. An okay performance, but not a memorable one.

Viktor Tsygankov - 7.5: So unlucky not to be the hero. Crashing a shot against the woodwork in the first half summed up his night. He was a constant creative force, whipping in 10 crosses and creating a big chance. He looked the most likely to make something happen for long periods. A very good performance that just lacked a goal or assist.

Oleksandr Zubkov - 8.5: The man of the match, without a doubt. He was a menace throughout the game, with five shots and a relentless work rate. His goal was the crucial breakthrough, a perfectly timed header that broke Iceland's hearts. He also made five tackles, showing his commitment to the cause. A brilliant, all-action display.

Forwards

Vladyslav Vanat - 6.0: It was a tough night for the lone striker. He worked the channels and showed some nice touches but struggled to make a real impact against a packed defence. He had one decent shot on target that was well saved but ultimately lost six of his seven duels. The effort was there, but the end product wasn't.

Substitutes

Roman Yaremchuk - 6.5: Almost made an instant impact but was denied by a great save from the Iceland keeper.

Mykola Shaparenko - 6.5: Came on and helped Ukraine maintain control and push for the winner.

Oleksii Hutsuliak - 7.5: The perfect substitute's cameo. Came on late and sealed the win with a cool finish. You can't ask for much more than that.

Oleksandr Svatok - N/A: Came on late to see out the game.

Yehor Nazaryna - N/A: Not enough time to make an impact.

Manager

S. Rebrov - 7.5: He had to be patient, but his game plan and substitutions paid off perfectly. Bringing on fresh attacking talent like Hutsuliak and Yaremchuk gave his team the final push they needed to get over the line. He kept his team believing, and they delivered the result. A good day at the office for the manager.

Iceland Player Ratings vs Ukraine

Here are Iceland Player Ratings vs Ukraine

Goalkeeper

Elías Ólafsson - 7.5: He deserved better than to be on the losing side. Ólafsson was fantastic for 82 minutes, making four saves, including a couple of top-drawer stops to deny Vanat and Yaremchuk. He commanded his box well with five clearances and two punches. There was absolutely nothing he could do about either goal. A fine display.

Defenders

Victor Pálsson - 7.0: A rugged and determined performance at the back. He won six of his nine duels and made seven clearances, throwing his body on the line for the cause. He even got forward for a set-piece and had a shot on target. A very solid defensive effort that was ultimately undone late on.

Sverrir Ingi Ingason - 7.5: An absolute colossus at the heart of the defence. From our perspective, he was Iceland's best outfield player. Nine clearances, 95% pass accuracy, and he read the game superbly to provoke two offsides. He was so close to helping his side earn an unlikely point. A fantastic defensive performance.

Hörður Magnússon - 6.5: A bit of a mixed performance. He was busy, with 68 touches and a number of clearances and interceptions. However, he also lost possession 15 times and struggled with the long balls he attempted. A solid enough defensive shift but lacked composure on the ball.

Mikael Egill Ellertsson - 6.5: He put in a real shift on the flank, contributing defensively with interceptions and clearances. He tried to get forward when he could but offered little in the final third. It was a disciplined performance before he was substituted in the final stages. He did his job.

Midfielders

Ísak Jóhannesson - 6.5: He was busy and involved all over the pitch, making tackles and trying to create with his crosses. He kept the ball well for the most part, but his influence waned as Ukraine began to dominate. The yellow card for a bad foul was a blemish on his copybook.

Hákon Arnar Haraldsson - 5.5: As the captain, more was expected. He worked hard and recovered the ball six times, but an error leading to a goal is a massive mark against his name. It was a moment of lost concentration that proved costly for his team. A difficult night for the skipper.

Albert Gudmundsson - 6.0: Looked like Iceland's most creative player but it was all flashes and no substance. He created three chances and had a near-perfect pass completion rate, but he often held onto the ball too long or made the wrong decision. He tried to make things happen, but it just wasn't his night.

Forwards

Jón Dagur Thorsteinsson - 5.0: From our viewpoint, a really poor performance. He was anonymous for large parts of the match. With a pass accuracy of just 62% and losing possession 11 times from only 34 touches, he offered very little threat. It was no surprise to see him substituted.

Brynjólfur Willumsson - 6.0: He had a massive chance with a header that was well saved early in the second half. That was his one big moment. Otherwise, he was well-marshalled by the Ukrainian defence and struggled to get involved before being taken off.

Andri Gudjohnsen - 7.0: What a physical presence. He was an absolute nightmare for the Ukrainian defenders, winning an incredible 12 out of 14 duels and 8 of 9 aerials. He held the ball up superbly and brought his teammates into play. He just lacked that final bit of quality or a clear-cut chance to cap his performance.

Substitutes

Jóhann Gudmundsson - 6.0: Came on but couldn't really impact the game as Ukraine took control.

Logi Tómasson - N/A: No time to make a difference.

Daníel Gudjohnsen - 6.0: Had one shot on target but it was a comfortable save.

Manager

A. Gunnlaugsson - 6.0: His tactics almost worked to perfection. He set his team up to be compact, disciplined, and frustrating to play against, and they executed it brilliantly for 82 minutes. However, his side offered very little going forward, and once the first goal went in, there was no way back. So close, yet so far.

Sportsdunia's player of the match is Zubkov