Andri Yarmolenko vs John O’ Shea
Dynamo Kiev striker Yarmolenko has been touted to have a big Euros by his coach. A quick striker, Yarmolenko will be looking to bag the goals for his team and will be in direct opposition to O’Shea. O’Shea is an experienced defender who will be in charge of leading the Irish defense in France.
Tough t0 call, but O’Shea might shade it.
Yevhen Konoplyanka vs James McCarthy
McCarthy is a very good midfielder who will be the main creative force for Ireland. He will be pulling the strings and creating the chances for Long up top. So it will be up to Konoplyanka and company to stop that from happening.
McCarthy did not have a great season but his quality is undeniable and should win this contest.
Anatoily Tymoshchuk vs James McClean
In what will be the battle on the wings, two players will go head to head to one up the other. Tymoshchuk has played in these big games before and will use all his experience to make an impact. McClean is a qulaity player but his lack of experience in such games might come to hurt him.
The Ukraine big man should win this.
Yevhen Seleznyov vs Shane Long
Shane Long has developed into a speedy striker with the knack of scoring goals. His lightning pace allows him to get past defenders and finish clinically. While Yevhen is an accomplished defender, he will have difficulty in stopping Long for the entire match.
Long to win this.
Ruslan Rotan vs Shay Given
Rotan is an experienced player who will be looking to be the impact player from the bench. Shay Given should be playing his last Euros and should be the one who leads the defense from the back.
Given to win.