Ukraine vs. England - Tactical Preview

By Adam Faulkner

England go into their two remaining World Cup qualifiers with their place in South Africa 2010 already assured after eight victories in their opening eight fixtures. The game in Dnipropetrovsk on Saturday is another opportunity for the Three Lions to gain more momentum following maximum points from previous group games in the build-up to the World Cup next year. England’s opponents Ukraine are still in with a chance of qualification in a battle for second place with Croatia, a team which England dispatched 5-1 at Wembley a month ago. With this in mind the Ukrainians will be fired up for this crucial qualifier, hoping to take advantage of their game in hand over Croatia, lying two points adrift with a slightly superior goal difference.

England - Fabio Capello has the luxury of qualification already assured in Group 6. With this in mind you would expect perhaps wholesale changes to give fringe players a chance to shine. However, the Italian has insisted that he will not rest any of England's star players for the qualifier on Saturday or the final group game against Belarus. England can be expected to line up similarly with the familiar 4-4-2 formation that has served them well in recent matches. Emile Heskey looks set to continue up front with Wayne Rooney, with the withdrawal of Jermain Defoe from the squad giving Capello an easy decision with regards to striking options. Capello is not treating this game as ‘friendly’ or ‘experimental’, with the intention of starting each game with the best possible team. In relation to the second half of the match, it looks likely the manager will make changes to give some fringe players some game time. Players such as Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahor and Manchester United’s Michael Carrick appear in pole positions to be handed opportunities after impressive club performances in recent weeks.

Ukraine - In Ukraine’s final home World Cup Qualifier, manager Alexei Mikhailichenko will be hoping to take advantage of their game in hand over Croatia to elevate them into second place. The Ukrainians will be hoping that with qualification already assured, England will take their foot off the gas, in a game that they simply have to win to stand any chance of qualifying for South Africa 2010. They will be without Barcelona centre-back Dmytro Chygrynskiy, who misses this crucial qualifier through injury. Ukraine have only lost just one game in Group 6, with defeat at Wembley in the reverse fixture in April. The game was a close affair with Ukraine narrowly losing late on to a John Terry goal and will be buoyed by the performance against the strongest team in the group.

It will be difficult for England not to treat this qualifier in a more relaxed manner following qualification after the dismantling of second placed Croatia. However, Capello has an exceptional record in competitive matches and will be expecting a strong and assured performance as preparations for the World Cup continue. England’s back four should expect a stern test against a Ukrainian side for which maximum points from the game is essential. The game should therefore represent a good indication of England’s defensive capabilities as Capello strives to find his strongest line-up. Concentration must be at a high point if England are to maintain their 100% record in qualification. Although the match is not being broadcast on television, the majority of fans will be expecting the cementing of England’s supremacy at the top of Group 6 with a hard-fought win.