Football news

Well-known Ukrainian journalist and commentator Roberto Morales has prepared a forecast for the Spanish championship match between Girona and Rayo Vallecano.

- After a tough Champions League match, Girona lost (on the merits) to Valencia at the Mestalla - 0: 2. Michel is one of those coaches who shouts at the top of his lungs about the overly busy calendar of international matches. This, together with the first Champions League in the club's history and the loss of a number of leading players in the summer (Artem Dovbyk, Aleix Garcia, Savinho, Yuri Kouto), is the main problem for the small Catalans.

In Paris, for the first time in a long time, they demonstrated the skills of playing defensively and cautiously. It could have brought a point, but a mistake by Argentine goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga ruined it. The match in Valencia was very weak and now I wonder how indicative it was. If this is not the maximum fall, then Girona fans are in for sad times.

"Rayo is surprising. A modest team gives a result that is definitely higher than expected. Atletico Madrid experienced this in the previous round. The 1-1 draw seriously upset Diego "Cholo" Simeone. "Iñigo Pérez's Rayo is really very similar to the version of Andoni Iraola's time. The bet is on goals for both teams," Morales said.

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Football expert Andriy Shakhov told us what he expects from the match of the 1st round of the main stage of the Europa League between Dynamo Kyiv and Lazio Rome, which will take place tomorrow in Hamburg.

"The Europa League... An old tournament with a new scheme, which is identical to the one in the Champions League. But for Dynamo Kyiv, everything will be new.

For the first time, the Dynamo team will host an opponent not in a country that borders Ukraine, but in relatively distant Germany. For the first time (the initial European Cup years do not count), the team will travel to their home match by three different modes of transportation at once - by train to Chelm, bus to Lublin, and plane to Hamburg. In general, it is the first time in a long, long time that Dynamo players are traveling to an international game by train. For the first time, not in sportswear, but in civilian suits... You can see how many innovations there are.

We would like to add that newcomers can make their debut in European competitions for Dynamo - Colombian Seballos, Panamanian Guerrero, our midfielder Valentyn Rubchynskyi, who showed himself well in the league. If this happens, they will become the 24th, 25th and 26th players involved by Oleksandr Shovkovskyi in European competitions. You must admit that 23 players in six games is a lot. However, the chances of seeing Seballos are reduced, because Denys Popov is traveling with the team to Hamburg. If he is fully recovered and has regained his form of the start of the season, then, let's say, he will play in the center, as was the case in all previous European Cup matches.

Thanks to the efforts of the computer that conducted the draw, Dynamo will play several clubs that Kyiv previously met in the Champions League. "Lazio is the first of them. This is all the more interesting for the match, which will start on Wednesday at 22:00. We're watching and cheering for our team!" Bankova Mail quoted Shakhov as saying.

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold answered questions about extending his contract with the Merseyside club.

- I will answer briefly. I want to be a Liverpool player this season. Listen, I have been in the team for 20 years. I've had four or five contract extensions, and none of them have been publicized in advance. This case will not be an exception.

I have always said that I want to be the club captain. This is my goal, and to be honest, it's up to me whether it will happen. The most important thing is trophies. I want to win them. I have a strong motivation to win," said Trent Alexander-Arnold.

We would like to add that Alexander-Arnold's current contract with Liverpool runs until the summer of 2025.

Arsenal defender Gabriel commented on the hooliganism of Erling Holland, who threw the ball at him in the back of the head at the end of the match against Manchester City.

- I didn't even realize that Holland had thrown the ball at me. That's because they scored in the last minute and avoided defeat. They were hoping to win, but we did a great job. It was a big battle, so it's understandable that there were provocations. This is part of the game. But now this match is over, and we are waiting for them at our stadium. There will be fireworks then, too," the defender added.

The French team Paris Saint-Germain has presented its third set of uniforms for the current season. The team's technical partner is the American clothing manufacturer Jordan.

"PSG and Jordan today present the third set of uniforms for the 2024/2025 season, the design of which symbolizes the fusion of Parisian luxury and sporting excellence. This pale pink uniform, which is adorned with a black stripe, reflects the desire of both brands to combine elegance with boldness, while reflecting the unique spirit of the club's new generation," the press service said in a statement on its official website.

Dynamo Kyiv winger Andriy Yarmolenko answered questions from media representatives at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Europa League group stage match against Lazio Rome.

- What do you think of Lazio?

- They are a good team, tactically very well versed, they play aggressive football, so it will be interesting to test myself in this game.

- After returning to Dynamo, you have not yet played in the main round of European competitions. What are your expectations?

- Of course, it's always interesting to play in European competitions, especially since this year's format is new. We understand what kind of club we represent, and we understand the responsibility that falls on us.

Head coach of Dynamo Kyiv Oleksandr Shovkovskyi spoke to the media as part of a regular press conference before the Europa League group stage match against Lazio Rome, which will take place tomorrow in Hamburg.

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Mykyta Kamenyuka, a 39-year-old former team captain and later coach of Luhansk's Zorya, told UA-Football about his time in Germany and a new turn in his football career.

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Oleh Fedorchuk, a well-known coach in the past and now a reputable expert, told us what weaknesses in Heorhiy Bushchan's game were revealed in the 0-0 match between Dynamo and Rukh.

- The recent calendar match against Rukh showed the poor footwork of goalkeeper Heorhiy Bushchan. Just think of the targeted passes he made to the visitors' striker Ihor Krasnopir. Fortunately for Kyiv, the latter acted very straightforwardly when he found himself face to face with Bushchan. Although, in fairness, it should be said that at the last moment Heorhiy eliminated the danger after he had created the goal-scoring chances. "But it should be borne in mind that Lazio's strikers have a higher level of performance than Krasnopir's," Fedorchuk said.

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has described his comfortable position and role on the football field.

"I told Arne Slot that I would like to be a defender that no one wants to face in Europe. It's great to have a coach who will help, guide and teach me how to become better," The Athletic quoted Trent as saying.

Famous Ukrainian journalist and commentator Ihor Tsyhanyk has made a prediction for the Dynamo vs Lazio Europa League main stage match.

- A difficult test for Dynamo Kyiv. "Lazio, in my opinion, is the first such serious opponent for the White and Blues this season, with all due respect to Salzburg or Rangers.

The match will take place in Hamburg. We want enough fans to come so that Dynamo will have support. Oleksandr Shovkovskyi is counting on points in this match, setting the team up for a difficult duel.

"The Romans have scored and conceded in all the matches of the season before. I think a draw will be a good result for Kyiv in the first meeting of the Europa League. I will hazard a guess that we will see an exchange of goals with an exact score of 1:1," said Tsyganik.

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Dynamo Kyiv has arrived in Hamburg for the UEFA Europa League match against Lazio Rome in the 1st round of the main stage.

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