Famous Ukrainian coach, coach of Zhytomyr's Polissya Yurii Kalytyntsev analysed the Euro 2024 qualifying match between the national teams of Ukraine and Northern Macedonia (2-0), which took place yesterday in Prague.
Yuri Kalitvintsev- Oleksandr Mykolayovych, your first impressions of the match.
- My first impressions are not of the match, but of the result - and it was great! As for the game itself, it was clear that the guys were worried about the final result, especially after scoring. But our team played very well in defence and had the prerequisites to score more - the Macedonians had only one chance. The result was weighing on our team, but we achieved it.
- Were there any surprises for you from Rebrov in the starting line-up (Trubin instead of Bushchan, Dovbyk instead of Yaremchuk) or in the scheme for the game?
- There were no surprises for me. Rebrov's choice for the striker position was good: Vanat and Dovbyk look good now, Yaremchuk needs a little more practice. I saw Dovbyk in the starting line-up. He is doing well at Girona and he came to the national team on a positive note - he wants to tear and throw. I think he played very well today.
- Did North Macedonia surprise you in any way in this match?
- I was a little surprised, first of all, by their footballing impudence. I did not expect that after conceding a goal, the Macedonians would feel so confident and there would be so much pressure. They did a good job of controlling the ball, but our team's confident defensive play did not allow the Macedonians to create much.
- Sudakov scored for the first time for the Ukrainian national team. What do you think of the Shakhtar midfielder's performance?
- I think Georgi was one of the best players in the match. He led the game, he was sharp and controlled the ball. Sudakov has a very good sense of the space between the lines and has a great relationship with his teammates.
- Did Zubkov manage to replace Tsygankov and Yarmolenko on the right?
- I won't compare him to Tsygankov and Yarmolenko, I'll just say that Zubkov played very well. Oleksandr looked very organic and powerful in the national team.
-It seemed that Mudryk was a little off, unable to beat the Macedonian goalkeeper from close range and losing the ball in the rounds.
- Mykhailo created aggression. When the opponent knows that we have a super-fast Mudryk, we need to build the defence line correctly. Even just being on the pitch, he brings a lot of benefit. Today Mykhailo was very active, visible and useful in the game. Yes, he didn't score, but the goalkeeper played brilliantly in this moment, reducing the distance competently.
- What can you say about the substitutions?
- The introduction of Sydorchuk and Svatko was necessary to strengthen the defence. I think these are very competent substitutions, because the Macedonians began to put a little pressure, although they did not create any chances. Sydorchuk and Svatok are the kind of players who give everything on the pitch.
Karavayev scored a masterful goal. He saw the opponent's goalkeeper come out, looked at him and instantly scored. Karavayev is very good at using the operational space, which was very plentiful. This coaching substitution played perfectly.
Malinowski also played well. He kept the ball and calmed the opponent's emotions a little bit. All the substitutions were correct.
- What should we expect from the upcoming match with Malta?
- The main thing is not to pay attention to what they will write and say - "you can't relax", "Malta is a good team", etc. This is all talk for the U-9s, and we have an adult team. Our coaches and players understand that the game against Malta is a must-win.
There will be no underestimation of the opponent. The main thing is to avoid overestimation, because the result can be overwhelming. Our team is stronger and more skilful, and Ukraine will just have to come out and get a result. If we don't win against Malta, the game against Italy will be meaningless.
- Do you think there will be a rotation against Malta?
- There will be no global rotation, but everything will depend on the players' functional readiness.
Andrii Piskun
