Germany vs Ukraine: Expect high-scoring encounter in Bremen
Mykhaylo Mudryk of Chelsea
Germany and Ukraine face each other in a friendly in Bremen on Monday evening, with this being the 1000th game in the history of Die Mannschaft.
Germany will play three friendlies in June and it's worth noting that as they host Euro 2024, they will not face any competitive games ahead of the tournament. After the game against Ukraine, Germany will play Poland in Warsaw on June 16 and Colombia on June 20 in Gelsenkirchen.
Their last competitive game was against Costa Rica at last year's World Cup. Die Mannschaft managed a 4-2 win, but this wasn't enough for them to qualify for the knockout stage as Spain pipped them on goal difference.
Since then, Germany have played two friendlies, securing a win against Peru and a defeat against Belgium. However, they should have enough to see off a spirited Ukrainian side this evening.
Suggested bet: Germany to win
The war in Ukraine has affected football in the country, but they have committed to playing their 2024 European Championship qualifiers. Ukraine have been drawn in Group C alongside England, Italy, North Macedonia and Malta.
They suffered a defeat in their first game, 0-2 against England at Wembley on March 26. Ukraine's second game in the qualifiers will be played in North Macedonia on June 16. They will then face Malta on June 19 in a home game that will take place in neighbouring Slovakia.
On paper Ukraine have one of their most talented squads in their history, with players like Vitalii Mykolenko, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Ruslan Malinovskyi, Roman Yaremchuk and Mykhailo Mudryk. However, they have never beaten Germany in their history. The two teams last faced each other in November 2022 with the Germans managing a 3-1 win, coming from behind in Leipzig in the Nations League. In the reverse fixture in Kyiv, Germany secured a 2-1 victory.
Four of the last five games between the two sides have seen over 2.5 goals scored so this looks like a solid bet for this one.
Suggested bet: Over 2.5 goals
