Former Ukraine and Kryvbas player Oleksandr Palianytsia shared his expectations for today's matchup between Betis and Kryvbas in the Conference League playoffs.
"Betis is the clear favorite. And not only because they easily won the first match and because Kryvbas will be playing without their attacking leader Prince Adu, who was unexpectedly sold to Viktoria Pilsen. Everything is much simpler: Betis represents the Spanish La Liga, one of the strongest in Europe, and the level of players here is much higher than in the UPL.
Nevertheless, Kryvbas can still slam the door on the Euro season. Since the result will no longer put pressure on the Kryvyi Rih team, they can play to their heart's content, and this sometimes pays significant dividends. We'll see what Kryvbas' offense is worth without Prince Adu, whether any of Yuriy Vernydub's players will take the opportunity to shine on the international stage and be on the radar of some famous foreign club.
However, it can be assumed that today Kryvbas will have rotations. It is very difficult to defeat Betis, and on September 1, Kryvbas will play a regular UPL match against Shakhtar. And to play in European competitions again next year, we need to be ahead in Ukraine.
Nevertheless, we can only hope that Kryvbas will put up a stubborn fight in Seville and break their goalless streak in the international arena. Even without Prince Adu," Palianytsia said.