The final round of EURO 2012 group matches reaches its culmination this evening, with France, Ukraine and England all battling for a place in the last eight. As always, we’ve opened the Dugout Discussion ahead of the 7.45pm kick-off.
Roy Hodgson makes just one change from the XI that started the previous match against Sweden, with Wayne Rooney replacing Andy Carroll to resume his Man United partnership with Danny Welbeck up front. Theo Walcott warms the bench despite, or perhaps because, of his match-winning performance against the Swedes, with the role of impact sub maybe more suited to Hodgson’s thinking.
Oleg Blokhin makes four alterations for the tournament co-hosts. Yaroslav Rakitskiy replaces Taras Mikhalik at centre-half, Sergei Nazarenko drops out for Denis Garmash in central midfield, while up front, it’s all change for the Ukraine. Andriy Shevchenko fails to recover from a knee problem and is on the bench along with Andriy Voronin – Marko Devic and Artem Milevskyi are the replacements.
England Starting XI: Hart; Johnson, Lescott, Terry, Cole; Milner, Parker, Gerrard, Young; Rooney, Welbeck
Ukraine Starting XI: Pyatov; Gusev, Khacheridi, Rakitskiy, Selin; Yarmolenko, Garmash, Tymoschuk, Konoplyanka; Devic, Milevsky
Erik Hamren makes a couple of enforced changes as Sweden attempt to avoid three straight defeats in their final match of the tournament. Johan Elmander and Rasmus Elm are both injured, affording Ola Toivonen and Emir Bajrami a chance up front and on the left respectively.
There are two changes also for France. Yohan Cabaye isn’t risked after picking up a thigh problem in the previous match, allowing Yann M’Vila his first start of the tournament in central midfield. Out wide, Jeremy Menez misses out despite scoring against Ukraine – Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa is the replacement.
Sweden Starting XI: Isaksson; Granqvist, Mellberg, J Olsson, M Olsson; Svensson, Källström; Larsson, Ibrahimovic, Bajrami; Toivonen
France Starting XI: Lloris; Debuchy, Rami, Mexès, Clichy; M’Vila, Diarra; Ben Arfa, Nasri, Ribéry; Benzema
