Ukraine midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko told what he expects from the Euro 2024 qualifying match against Italy, which will take place tomorrow in Leverkusen.
"The Italian national team are the reigning European champions. I don't even want to waste time saying how strong this team is. Everyone understands this. I really hope for the support of Ukrainians who will come to watch this match.
I am also 100% sure that millions of people will watch the match from different parts of the world, including Ukraine. We all understand the responsibility. We need to show our best game, both individually and as a team, to succeed.
Italians like to play with the ball. They play combination football. I am now paying a lot of attention to how they live football and the game. The game doesn't start with the referee's whistle, but earlier, in the dressing room. The way they sing the national anthem, the way they live the game - it speaks volumes about their team.
They live the game every second. When you play against an opponent who doesn't shut up during the whole match, they are all energisers, you lose that concentration when you play against them. It happens to all teams, but I would improve it for us too," Zinchenko was quoted as saying by the VZBIRNA telegram channel.