KYIV (Interstat) — Ukraine U21 and Albania U21 played to a 2-2 draw on Monday, a match that saw Albania take an early lead, Ukraine answer twice after halftime, and Albania equalize in the final minute after Ukraine was reduced to 10 players. The home side and the visiting side each finished with two goals, leaving both teams with a draw in the competition.

Albania opened the scoring in the 18th minute when Kevin Dodaj scored. Dodaj’s goal gave the visitors the lead and Albania held that advantage for the rest of the first half. Ukraine U21 pressed for a response before the break but could not find an equalizer, and Albania went into halftime ahead. Dodaj remained on the field for the entire match and was one of Albania’s key performers.

Ukraine U21 changed the match after halftime. Anton Glushchenko scored in the 55th minute to level the game, and Kyrylo Dihtiar scored in the 56th minute to give Ukraine U21 the lead. The two goals came in quick succession and shifted the scoreline toward the home side. Glushchenko and Dihtiar each finished with one goal and each remained on the field for the full match.

The quick turnaround erased Albania’s lead and put Ukraine U21 in front before the hour mark. Albania U21 had held the advantage since Dodaj’s 18th-minute goal, but the home side’s two-goal burst in the second half changed the scoreline. Ukraine U21 then had to manage the match with a lead for more than 30 minutes.

Ukraine’s lead was disrupted in the 69th minute when D. Vashchenko received a red card. The dismissal left Ukraine U21 with 10 players for the remainder of the match. Albania U21 continued to push for a goal and found one in the 90th minute when Erald Maksuti scored. Maksuti’s late goal leveled the match and completed the scoring. Maksuti finished with one goal and was on the field for the full match.

The final stages unfolded with Albania searching for another goal and Ukraine trying to hold its advantage while a player down. Maksuti’s strike in the 90th minute delivered the equalizer and ended the scoring. Neither side found a winner after that goal, and the match finished level.

The draw leaves Albania U21 with no wins, no losses and one draw in the competition. Albania U21 also has no wins, no losses and one draw across all competitions. Ukraine U21 has no wins, no losses and one draw in the competition, while its record across all competitions is one win, no losses and one draw. Ukraine U21 entered the match after a 1-0 home win over Croatia U21 in its previous match this season.

For Albania U21, Dodaj’s 18th-minute goal was the first of the match, and Maksuti’s 90th-minute goal was the last. For Ukraine U21, Glushchenko’s 55th-minute goal began the comeback, and Dihtiar’s 56th-minute goal briefly put the home side in front. Vashchenko’s red card in the 69th minute was the only dismissal. The four goalscorers all finished with one goal apiece, and the match ended with the teams level at two goals each.

The result gives both sides a draw in their competition record this season. Albania U21 remains without a win or a loss in the competition and across all competitions. Ukraine U21 remains without a win or a loss in the competition, though its all-competitions record includes one victory. The match was played on Monday, and neither team added a winning goal after Maksuti’s equalizer.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Ukraine U21 1, Albania U21 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Ukraine U21 with a 66.7 percent probability to win.