Alexander Karavayev: "I wouldn't say that in the game with Malta we didn't take our opponent seriously"

Dynamo Kyiv and Ukraine defender Oleksandr Karavayev spoke about the recent 3-1 win over Malta in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.

"I wouldn't say that in the game with Malta we didn't take our opponent seriously. In recent years, all teams have been levelling up, with players playing in stronger championships. The meeting was two days later on the third day, a sharp change in climate... The most important thing is that we returned to the game and got the desired result.

There are matches when we do not show the game that is expected of us. But I have never seen the guys go out with their hands down or not wanting to win. On the football pitch, something can go wrong, like our missed goal against Malta. So the main thing is to follow the coach's instructions. If we follow them, we always get the right result at the end of the match.

We are setting ourselves up for a victory over Italy. We understand that at this stage everything depends on us. We have six points, and the most important game is ahead. We have time to prepare for it. The most important thing is for everyone to arrive healthy, and we will do everything to win," Karavayev was quoted as saying by the UAF's official website.