Myron Markevych: "We now have the strongest national team since independence"

Myron Markevych, head coach of Lviv's Karpaty, shared his impressions of the Ukrainian national team's 4-0 victory over Moldova in a friendly.

- Myron, did you expect such a bright victory for our national team?

- I am not so much pleased with the score as with the way Ukraine played. I liked it. Did I expect 4-0 in our favor? It's clear that our team and the Moldovan national team are two teams of different class. We had to win. But you know, the Moldovans have not lost like this at home for a very long time. Perhaps the fact that they played a rather energy-intensive match against Cyprus three days ago (3:2) affected the functional state of Serhiy Kleshchenko's team. They definitely lacked freshness. It was obvious from the first minutes.

In our previous game against Poland (1-3), let's be honest, we played with reserves, while in Chisinau we had a fighting team. So we have 4-0 on the scoreboard in our favor. It was a good game. It is good that we won and gained confidence, because it is important. The only thing that worries me now is Vitaliy Mykolenko's injury. But personally, I am optimistic about the future of this team at the European Championship.

- So far, the final verdict of the doctors on Mykolenko is unknown. But be that as it may, most likely, at least in the first game at Euro 2024 we will not see Vitaliy. In the game against Moldova, he was replaced by Zinchenko. Most likely, Oleksandr will also play in the game against Romania. Is it an equivalent replacement, given the very weak end of the championship performed by the defender of London's Arsenal, who lost his place in the team of Mikel Arteta?

- It is clear that if Mykolenko is diagnosed with a serious injury, he will be replaced by Zinchenko. He is the number one candidate for this position. And the fact that he had a blurred end to the club season is just that. Zinchenko has so much experience behind him that he can only go on that. He's not 'choking' for sure. At Manchester City, he played well as a left back. Oleksandr is very good in the box-to-box. He hardly ever loses the ball. He is one of our best defenders in this regard.

If we compare Oleksandr with Mykolenko purely in terms of defense, Vitaliy is a bit stronger. He is more solid. He is more focused on defensive actions.

- Who was the best player of the match against Moldova?

- You know, everyone played well against Moldova. It was the team play, the interaction that I liked the most. So, I don't think it would be appropriate to single out anyone.

- Georgii Sudakov has three points in the goal plus assist system: He assisted twice and scored once. Doesn't he deserve the Lion of the Match?

- I agree that Sudakov played well. However, Roman Yaremchuk also worked very well in the playing time he had (the first half). He scored a good goal. Taras Stepanenko played at a high level.

Against Moldova, we had a lineup that is as close to the main one as possible. I think that 90 percent of it is the starting eleven that we will see in the first game at Euro 2024 against Romania. There will be one or two changes at most. Artem Dovbyk, for example, can start from the start.

- During Ukraine's first goal by Yaremchuk, the Moldovan defender, your Carpathian teammate Vladyslav Baboglo, got a little lost. Will you "kick" him when he returns to Lviv?

- No, it's not a little bit, it's fine (laughs). You can't make such mistakes.

You know, I watched more than one Moldovan game and saw that they can play much better. As for me, against Ukraine, Moldova played its worst game in the last two years. In the qualifiers for Euro 2024, they only lost 0-3 to the Czech Republic (in that game, Babohlo also "distinguished himself" Baboglo, who earned a red card - ed.)

- What do you think of Mykola Shaparenko in the support area? I was a little bit in a stupor when I saw Dynamo's Mykola paired with Taras Stepanenko in this position.

- That's a question for Rebrov. I don't know how to comment on it. He is with the players every day, so he knows better. It's a purely coaching decision. But I wouldn't say that Dynamo's player was very lost in the center of the midfield.

- Finally, we saw Andriy Lunin in the game, but he had little work to do: two shots on goal.

- That's right, you said it right. Lunin stood there more than he played. He had practically no shots, no work. Will Andriy be the main man at the Euros? It's 50-50: either Lunin or Trubin. Rebrova will be chosen. We will find out very soon, in five days.

- Yes, there is less than a week left before Ukraine's first game in Germany. What are your premonitions?

- Ukraine should definitely qualify for Euro 2024 from this group. We have the strongest national team since independence. Even stronger than the one that made it to the 1/4 finals at the World Cup in Germany in 2006 with Shevchenko and Rebrov in the squad.

The main thing is that we need a little more luck, a little bit of luck will not hurt. Serhii Rebrov's team can make a serious shot at Euro 2024.

Viktor Glukhenkyi