North Macedonia put on a spirited show against Austria in their first match of Euro 2020 and will hope to bamboozle Ukraine on Thursday with a similarly positive display in Romania.

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The North Macedonians matched up to the Austrians until the 78th minute and even had their chances to win the game at stages on Sunday. Now, boss Igor Angelovski must lift his players’ spirits and go again versus a Ukraine side that are themselves nursing an opening-game defeat.

Ukraine’s 3-2 loss to Netherlands on Sunday was made even more agonising due to their successful comeback from two goals down late in the game, only to concede with five minutes remaining.

It means Thursday’s encounter – the second of three Euro 2020 fixtures for both sides in this group – is a must-win, with Ukraine the early favourites to take the three points.

But can veteran striker and captain Goran Pandev keep the North Macedonian dream alive? Or will the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko get Ukraine back on track for a last-16 place?

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RadioTimes.com has rounded up everything you need to know about how to watch Ukraine v North Macedonia on TV and online.

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When is Ukraine v North Macedonia on TV?

Ukraine v North Macedonia will take place on Thursday 17th January 2021.

Check out our Euro 2020 fixtures and live football on TV guides for the latest times and information, plus find out how to watch every game with our Euro 2020 schedule.

What time is kick-off?

Ukraine v North Macedonia will kick off at 2pm.

Games throughout the group stage will kick off at 2pm, 5pm and 8pm in UK time, while the knockout rounds will occupy the latter two time slots.

What TV channel is Ukraine v North Macedonia on?

Fans can tune in to watch the game for free on ITV from 1pm.

Games will be split between ITV and BBC throughout the tournament with every single moment of every match being broadcast on free-to-air TV.

How to live stream Ukraine v North Macedonia online

You can also live stream the match via ITV Hub on a range of devices including laptops, smartphones and tablets.

Ukraine v North Macedonia team news

Ukraine: Oleksandr Zubkov suffered a knee injury against Netherlands and is unlikely to feature here, while Viktor Tsygankov is only just back in training and may not be ready to start.

Boss Andriy Shevchenko could stick with the same XI that almost grabbed a point against Netherlands, with either Mykola Shaparenko or Marlos replacing Zubkov.

North Macedonia: Pandev played a full 90 minutes against Austria and should keep his place in the XI despite his advanced age. Aleksandar Trajkovski is also likely to remain alongside the forward, although Tihomir Kostadinov could come in as a replacement.

Egzon Bejtulai may be preferred over Boban Nikolov in the right wing-back position, with Gjanni Alioski on the opposite side.

Ukraine v North Macedonia odds

In working partnership with the Radio Times, bet365 has provided the following betting odds for this event:

bet365 odds: Ukraine (3/5) Draw (5/2) North Macedonia (6/1)*

For all the latest football odds and more, visit bet365 today and claim an opening account offer of ‘Up to £100 in Bet Credits**’, utilising the bonus code ‘RT365’.

*Odds subject to change. 18+. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org. Note – The bonus code RT365 does not change the offer amount in any way.

Our prediction: Ukraine v North Macedonia

Ukraine offered very little against Netherlands until midway through the second half when they suddenly came to life. And they will likely have much more of the possession and dictate play against North Macedonia here.

But the North Macedonians were at no point out of the game against Austria – and we should expect them to be just as committed to this clash.

You certainly cannot rule out North Macedonia scoring against a defence that committed far too many mistakes against Netherlands at the weekend. Whether it will be enough to seriously threaten Ukraine remains to be seen but a draw is certainly not unfeasible here.

Our prediction: Ukraine 1-1 North Macedonia (13/2 at bet365)

For the full breakdown of what games are coming up check out our Euro 2020 fixtures on TV guide.

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