England v Ukraine - Key Battles
Tuesday, 11 September, 2012
A more detailed look at some of the on-pitch battles at Wembley.
England face Ukraine at Wembley on Tuesday night in confident mood following their impressive win over Moldova.
The Three Lions got their World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign off to a flying start with a 5-0 victory on Friday.
But Oleg Blokhin’s side will pose a far tougher threat to Roy Hodgson’s men at Wembley Stadium this evening.
Here, we take a look at the key players who are likely to have a big say in how the match unfolds.
JOLEON LESCOTT v MARCO DEVIC
In the absence of the injured John Terry, Lescott will take over the senior partner role in the centre of defence and will need to be equally commanding.
Devic carries the goalscoring burden in the wake of a raft of retirements after Euro 2012.
And he will have extra motivation having had a goal disallowed against England in the tournament this summer.
FRANK LAMPARD v ANATOLIY TYMOSHCHUK
Lampard's second goal against Moldova proved he still has the knack of timing his runs into the penalty area to perfection.
And the Chelsea star’s movement could again be key to unlocking the Ukrainian defence.
Experienced Bayern Munich midfielder Tymoshchuk will have to keep a close eye on Lampard and prevent him getting the space to do any damage.
JERMAIN DEFOE v YEVHEN KHACHERIDI
Buoyed by his goal in the opening qualifier, Tottenham hitman Defoe will be keen to build on that strike and show he is the man to fill in for the injured Wayne Rooney.
Dynamo Kiev centre-back Khacheridi hopes to fully recover from a virus as Ukraine have defensive problems. His recent experience at Euro 2012 will be invaluable as his side try to stifle Defoe’s threat.
You can help cheer England to victory over Ukraine at Wembley tonight. Tickets are still on sale and can be purchased from the stadium’s East ticket office from midday. All price levels are still available, but subject to availability.