Albania U17 vs Ukraine U17

The opening 40 minutes were a tight, competitive affair. Albania, buoyed by their 2-2 draw with Latvia three days earlier, held firm against a Ukraine side desperate for points. The hosts' defensive discipline frustrated Ukraine's attackers until the closing stages of the first half.

The deadlock was broken in the 42nd minute when Oleh Dziurynets found the net from close range after a well-worked move involving Yevheniy Voloshko, who provided the assist. It was a hammer blow for Albania, who had matched their visitors for much of the opening period.

Worse was to come for the hosts. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Albanian defender Frensi Mali was shown a straight red card — reduced to ten men just as they needed to regroup at the interval. Ukraine's Danylo Pylypchuk was also booked in the same passage of play, but the numerical advantage was firmly with the visitors.

Armand Dama's Albania made three changes at the break, introducing Alvin Mahmutaj, Sebastian Amataj and Jason Bori in an attempt to reshuffle after Mali's dismissal. Ukraine also made an early change, with Vsevolod Linnikov replacing Danylo Udovychenko.

The second half quickly became a one-sided affair. Yevheniy Voloshko doubled Ukraine's lead in the 57th minute with a fine finish, capping an impressive individual performance that also included the assist for the opener.

Just six minutes later, Danylo Pylypchuk made it 3-0 with a clinical strike, effectively ending the contest before the hour mark. Albania's hopes of a consolation looked increasingly remote as Ukraine controlled possession and territory with the extra man.

Ukraine continued to press and added a fourth in the 83rd minute when substitute Nikola Cappellato slotted home after a pass from Adam Safonov, completing the scoring and putting a deserved gloss on the scoreline.

Despite the emphatic margin of victory, Ukraine's fate in Group B6 had already been largely determined by their earlier results. After throwing away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 against Latvia — conceding the winner deep into stoppage time — Sytnyk's side knew they needed Latvia to slip up against Albania in the final round. Latvia's 2-2 draw with Albania in the opening match had given them a vital point, and their win over Ukraine proved decisive.

Final Group B6 standings:

Under UEFA's new competition format for youth national teams, the second qualifying round is split into League A and League B. The winners of League B groups advance to League A for the first round of the 2027/28 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, while the remaining teams stay in League B. Latvia's group win therefore earns them a place in the top tier for the next cycle, while Ukraine and Albania will remain in League B.

Yevheniy Voloshko was the standout performer for Ukraine, contributing a goal and an assist from midfield. His movement and creativity caused persistent problems for the Albanian defence throughout the match. Up front, Oleh Dziurynets opened the scoring with a well-taken finish and was a constant threat before being substituted in the 75th minute.

For Albania, Afrim Gashi (who was booked early on) battled manfully in midfield alongside Petro Marku, but Mali's red card left the team exposed going into the second half. Goalkeeper Simon Lleshi made several saves to keep the score from escalating further in a difficult outing.

For Ukraine, this 4-0 win provides a positive note on which to end the qualification campaign, even if the result ultimately carried no weight in the final standings. Four different goalscorers — Dziurynets, Voloshko, Pylypchuk and Cappellato — demonstrated encouraging attacking depth within this generation of Ukrainian U17 players. The disappointment of the Latvia defeat, however, will linger as an opportunity lost.

Albania finish the mini-tournament at the bottom of the group with one point. Their spirited draw with Latvia in the opening match showed promise, but the red card to Mali and the comprehensive nature of this defeat highlight the gap that remains at this age level. For coach Armand Dama, the focus now shifts to player development ahead of the next UEFA youth cycle.

The match was officiated by Czech referee Karel Rouček, who issued three cards — one yellow and one red for Albania, and one yellow for Ukraine — across a contest that remained competitive in spirit despite the one-sided final score.