Agencies
Lyon
Northern Ireland take on Ukraine in Lyon hoping to revitalise their Euro 2016 campaign after an opening game defeat to Poland.
The Irish will look to avoid a quick exit from Euro 2016 by bouncing back here against Ukraine in their second game of Group C, though just like their opener the odds are stacked against them.
Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka are the danger men and MichaelO'Neill will have to balance defensive solidarity with a little more ambition in search of the points.
With Germany awaiting the Irish in the final game of the group stage, this feels like it is a must-win, while the Ukraine will want to match Poland's result to leave their fate in their own hands entering the final game.
The mood in the Irish camp was soured after news that 24-year-old fan Darren Rodgers died this week after a fall from a sea-front railing in Nice with O'Neill looking to make Thursday's game a "fitting tribute".
battled well against Germany and to lose by two was perhaps a little harsh, but Mykhaylo Fomenko knows his side's prospects in this tournament will depend on their results against Northern Ireland and Poland. An unchanged side is possible, though youngster Viktor Kovalenko failed to deliver on the big stage and could be replaced by Denys Garmash in midfield.
have a clean bill of health for their second game, though Michael O'Neill is likely to make some changes given their urgency to pick up points here with Germany awaiting them in the final game. Stuart Dallas and Conor Washington impressed off the bench against Poland and could earn starts with Patrick McNair and Shane Ferguson making way.
"(On his side's opening defeat to Germany) physically and mentally we will be fine. For us, the players understood perfectly how difficult it was going to be against a team like Germany, but the most important thing now is that we get the victory in our next game,"
"(On his side's opening defeat to Poland) if you look at our team the two lads that were playing in the wing-back positions, they play their club football at League One level. It was a massive game for us to come in, (with) fantastic support and the prestige of the game. Everything around the tournament has been top class. The disappointment is that maybe in qualification that's a game we might have taken something from,"
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