In the second match of the Europa League qualifiers, Kryvbas lost to Victoria again (0:1) and will now continue to play in the Conference League. Former Ukraine and Kryvbas player Andriy Polunin shared his impressions of the match in the Czech Republic:
- It seems that Kryvbas continues to make the same mistakes. As in the first match in Kosice, in the match against Karpaty in the UPL and yesterday in Pilsen, Yuriy Vernydub's team failed in the second half. As a result, all these confrontations were lost.
- How can you explain the fact that Kryvyi Rih do not have enough strength for the full 90 minutes?
- It's possible that the coaching staff made a mistake with reaching the peak of their fitness. Still, we cannot say that in these matches the Kryvyi Rih players were hopeless or just doing their best. There was a setup, but it is obvious that the Ukrainian team cannot get rid of these fluctuations in the game. Of course, it is advisable for Yuriy Vernydub to quickly find out the reasons for such metamorphoses. Because without stability in the game, you can find yourself in a psychological "hole" that will create additional problems.
- Performances on two fronts - the UPL and European Cups - require a long bench. Does the fact that the main players do not have an equivalent replacement affect their actions?
- However, it is rather the gaps in functional training that have a negative impact. Perhaps, logistical problems affect the training process and recovery. As for the Kryvbas squad, it is quite capable, although there are no obvious leaders. Prins Adou, who was associated with great hopes, cannot be denied diligence and persistence, but he is too straightforward, without creativity. The central midfielders also lack discretion, and the defense is not doing well. There is work to be done.
- In short, Kryvbas's elimination from the Europa League cannot be called accidental?
- No, it wasn't. "Victoria" turned out to be a tough nut to crack, which the Kryvyi Rih team failed to crack. The Pilsen team, especially in the second leg, completely controlled the course of events and easily achieved the desired result.
- Now the next step for Kryvyi Rih is to play in the Conference League. How do you assess the chances of Yurii Vernydub's team?
- Let's wait for Kryvbas's Sunday match in Rivne against Veres in the UPL championship and see how the Kryvyi Rih team has worked to correct their mistakes. And only then will we assess their chances in the Conference League.
Maksym Kovalenko