Every football match has plenty of statistics that can make you into one of the brainiest at football knowledge.
To get you upto speed for England’s first home qualifier for World Cup 2014 against Ukraine, Total Football’s Simon Wright has picked out some useful stats to look out for.
1. These sides have met on five different occasions previously, with England coming out with an 80 per cent win ratio.
2. Ukraine’s only win came in qualification for the last World Cup, when Robert Green was sent off and England lost away 1-0.
3. The first meeting between the two sides was a friendly at the ‘old’ Wembley Stadium in May 2000. Tony Adams netted a rare goal in a comfortable 2-0 win for England under Kevin Keegan’s management.
4. In the first ever meeting between these two teams, Steven Gerrard (pictured) won his first England cap. 12 years on, he will win his 98th cap for his country.
5. Ukraine’s 2-1 victory over Sweden at Euro 2012 is their only success in their last six outings. This includes a group stage defeat to England in Donetsk during this summer’s football festival.
6. The Eastern Europeans don’t have a great track record in qualification for major tournaments. They have only made one World Cup finals, which was in 2006. Ukraine reached the quarter-finals before surrendering 3-0 to eventual winners Italy.
7. Away from the home comforts of Kiev, Ukraine have only won one of their last five internationals on their travels.
8. Ukraine gained full independence as a European nation in 1991 following the collapse of the old Soviet Union regime.
9. England have not lost a qualification match of any description since the defeat to the Ukrainians in October 2009.
10. Only two of the current Ukraine squad play their football outside the national league. Goalkeeper Andriy Dykan of Spartak Moscow and Bayern Munich midfielder Anatoliy Tymoschuk.
11. Ukraine’s most recently match was a friendly against the Czech Republic in August. The match ended in a 0-0 draw.
12. Since returning to the position as Ukraine manager in 2011, Oleg Blokhin’s record in ten matches in W5, D1, L4.
By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
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