Renowned Ukrainian coach Oleh Fedorchuk shared his expectations for the Ukraine national team'smatch in the Euro 2024 play-offs against Iceland.
Oleg Fedorchuk- I consider the Ukrainian team to be the favourite, but don't forget that this is the final and 90 minutes may not be enough to determine the winner.
- Still, what reasons do you have to be more optimistic about our countrymen's chances?
- First of all, despite last week's victory over the Bosnians, it was, in my opinion, the worst game of the Ukrainian national team under Serhii Rebrov. I am convinced that after the match in Zenica, our players not only recovered but also worked on their mistakes. And I am convinced that they will be more demanding both in preparation and in the match with the Icelanders. The same applies to the coaching staff. Let's be frank: in Zenica, Bosnian coach Savo Milosevic outplayed his Ukrainian counterpart for a long time. Nevertheless, much more coaching practice helped Serhii Rebrov to make the right substitutions at the key moment and, thanks to the better physical fitness of his players, to break through.
Secondly, Ukraine has a more qualified selection of players. Thirdly, the bench is longer. This is an important argument, because the opponents had little time to recover and fresh forces can play a decisive role.
- In your opinion, which positions in the Ukrainian national team need to be strengthened after the match in Zenica?
- I have questions about the game for Mykola Matvienko, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Oleksandr Zubkov. But I think that only the latter will lack a place in the starting line-up after Viktor Tsygankov returns to action.
- Is such a minor rotation caused by the fact that the winning line-up is not changed?
- No, rather, it is due to the huge responsibility. In particular, will Mykola Shaparenko, who can play in the position of Zinchenko, who has his own merits, live up to expectations? Although tomorrow after the break, the Ukrainians may have some rather unexpected substitutions, as Serhii Rebrov proved in Zenica that he is not afraid to take risks. Take Volodymyr Brazhko's debut as a full-back, as most experts preferred veteran Serhiy Sydorchuk. By the way, Brazhko did not disappoint.
- In your opinion, whom will Rebrov entrust with the place at the forefront of the attack? Artem Dovbyk or Roman Yaremchuk, who became the hero of the match in Zenica?
- I think that Rebrov himself is thinking about this now. Yaremchuk, indeed, made the most significant contribution to the victory in Zenica, but Dovbyk also scored the decisive goal. Unfortunately, Artem is very dependent on his partners, and they were not visible in Zenica for one and a half halves. I don't rule out the possibility that Roman will play from the first minutes in Wroclaw, especially as Dovbyk has already proved his ability to make effective substitutions.
- What was your impression of the Icelanders?
- I carefully watched the video of their match in Budapest against Israel. Nothing out of the ordinary, they were even very lucky to tip the scales in their favour, just like us in Zenica. They are dangerous with their home billets when playing standard positions, and they counterattack well. They have an interesting centre-forward - Albert Gudmundsson, by the way, a teammate of our Ruslan Malinowski at Genoa. He is not a grenadier, but he skilfully acts in advance, on the rebound, has a well-placed shot. He is a great free kick shooter. In a word, it is advisable for our players not to break the rules near their own possessions.
- You mentioned that 90 minutes may not be enough to determine the winner. Then what, extra time, a post-match penalty shootout?
- It won't come down to 11-metre penalties. Tomorrow we should not expect spectacular football. The result will be in the foreground. But thanks to a more balanced squad, the presence of leaders in each link, ours will prevail - 2-0.
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