Ukraine - Albania - 1: 2. Post-match press conference. Serhiy Rebrov: "We played against a very strong opponent"

On Saturday, September 7, the national team of Ukraine lost to Albania (1-2) in the 1st round of the 2024/25 Nations League. Here is the post-match press conference of the head coach of the Ukrainian national team Serhii Rebrov.

-Why did the Ukrainian national team play so poorly in the first half in attack?

- Probably because we played against a very strong opponent. The Albanians defended competently and organized, it was difficult to find space. We tried to make passes into the penalty area, but unfortunately, we didn't create many chances in the first half. Yes, Roman Yaremchuk had a chance. In the second half, we had chances, we scored the ball, we could have scored. Unfortunately, in football at this level, if you don't score, they score on you.

-Why was the game so difficult? Why was it so difficult to combine and create chances? Is it relatedto the players' readiness, their game practice? How do you deal with this?

- It is always difficult to play at this level. Albania defended very tightly, did not give space at all. It is very difficult to open such a defense, to have patience. We tried to do it, but there was not enough sharpness in the penalty area. This is the problem that we had in our game against Romania - we controlled the ball, but did not create chances, did not load the penalty area. Albania, just like at the Euros, was very organized in defense. However, now the question is not even about our attack, but about defense: how can we concede two goals out of three counterattacks? There was no balance in the defense, we had to defend with the whole team in the second half, not to let them create such moments.

-What did you try to convey to the players during the break? Evaluate their actions after your instructions.

- We made some suggestions. In the first 15 minutes of the second half, we dominated, created chances, scored a goal. But, as I said, football is not only about attacking, but also about defense. Our second conceded goal... I've just watched it again and I don't understand how you can defend like that at this level. We added to the attack at the beginning of the second half, scored a goal, but we have to play for 90 minutes.

- The next game is in three days. What needs to be done to make the Ukrainian national team play much better? How can we avoid these mistakes?

- We need to work hard and concentrate every minute of the game on our role in the team. Now we have two days to recover. It is important for the players to understand that this is the first match, everything happens. The Czech Republic lost today - 1:4. But we have to think about ourselves, show a different game in defense. This is important for the future, not just for the next match. But now there is little time, we need to react quickly.