Former Dynamo Kyiv defender Taras Mykhalyk told us what he expects from the Euro 2024 qualifying match in which the Ukrainian national team will play against Italy.
Taras Mykhalyk (photo: gettyimages.com)- "Scuadra Azzurra is an uncomfortable opponent for the Ukrainian team, which has only lost twice in the matches it has played. But sooner or later, something always happens for the first time in life. So why not break this sad winless streak in Leverkusen today and win for the first time? Moreover, to win a direct pass to Euro 2024, our guys only need a victory.
- Will it make it easier for Serhii Rebrov's men to win the game if, for various reasons, a whole group of leading players won't be able to help Italy?
- I would not overestimate the importance of this factor. Italy is one of the top countries in football, and I am convinced that manager Luciano Spalletti easily found an equivalent replacement for those players who were out of action.
- What can be useful for Serhii Rebrov's men to win the coveted three points?
- In Leverkusen, the confident actions of 2-3 of our players will not be enough to tip the scales in our favour. We need the entire Ukrainian national team to demonstrate their best qualities. By the way, in my opinion, our current national team is combat-capable, it can fight any opponent. But, I repeat, provided that all the players are ready to jump, figuratively speaking, over their heads.
- But this is Italy, after all.
- These are the realities: Italy is not only an uncomfortable opponent, but also a powerful one. That's why it's important that not only all the puzzles fit together in Leverkusen, but also that we have luck on our side. I think that Rebrov and his team are well aware of this and will make sure that it is a Ukrainian evening at the Bay Arena.
- What is your prediction for the game?
- Today we will do without my predictions. Today, the Ukrainian national team has a whole group of players from the European top championships, and the manager Serhii Rebrov is a qualified specialist. Everything depends, first of all, on them. We can only believe that even with the prolonged martial law in Ukraine, our players can win great victories on the international stage.
