Ukraine’s press on Saturday described their team’s 2-0 defeat to France as a “slap in the face” and issued a call to arms for the last Group D match against England to decide whether the Euro 2012 co-hosts make the quarter-finals.

“The defeat was well-deserved,” admitted the Internet news site Lb.ua. After the “slap in the face” from France, who scored two goals in three minutes “Ukraine lost heart and couldn’t find a response to their opponents”.

A number of publications mentioned the “curse” of Donetsk’s magnificent Donbass Arena for the national side, who have lost three times and drawn twice in their five outings there.

And after the side’s opening win against Sweden, Ukraine’s capitulation against Les Bleus “showed that it was too early to become euphoric”, said sport.bigmir.net.

“Ukraine played its normal game, showing that they’d punched above their weight against the Swedes,” it added.

“The second successive miracle didn’t happen and qualification for the quarter-finals is now very doubtful,” the daily Segodnia said on its website.

The daily Komsomolskaia Pravda said it was difficult to hold anything against the players, who were facing “one of the most dangerous sides in Europe”.

“It’d have been a miracle if we’d won. But it didn’t happen,” it said.

Ukraine now need a win against England in Donetsk on Tuesday to avoid elimination from Group D, the press said.

“(Coach Oleg) Blokhin’s players have to be at their best and get over the curse of Donetsk because mistakes will be very costly,” said the website champiom.com.ua.

“We lost to the strongest team in our group. That means England should be a little bit easier,” hoped Segodnia.