Andriy Telesnenko, a defender of Chornomorets Odesa in the late 80s and early 90s and a player of our national team, assessed the chances of the Ukrainian national team in the current Nations League draw and shared his expectations for the upcoming game against Georgia.
Andriy Telesnenko- Ukraine's situation in the group is such that it only needs to win to keep its hopes of being first in the group alive. But it's one thing to talk about it, and quite another to turn it into reality on the football field. The Georgian national team showed what they are capable of at the European Championships in Germany this summer. And it is capable of a lot for its level. Getting out of the group in the final part of the continental championship is worth a lot. So are two consecutive victories at the start of the current Nations League draw - over the Czech Republic 4-1 and Albania 1-0, which secured the lead in the group. So all of these facts indicate only one thing: the current opponent of Serhii Rebrov's team is quite serious.
- What do you think is the strength of the current Georgian national team?
- First of all, team play. The Georgians have made some progress since the arrival of Frenchman Willie Sagnol at the coaching position, which was manifested at the European Championships. The geography of Georgian players' performances is also of great importance. Among the countries where Georgia's representatives play, there are not only all the leading ones - Spain, Italy, France, Germany, England - but also many others, such as Austria, Denmark, and Greece. For our fans, midfielder Shota Nonikashvili, who defends the colors of the Cherkasy LNZ, has already made an impression.
- There is another player in the current Georgian national team who is well known to our football fans - Georgy Tsitaishvili, who played for our "youth" and even won the world championship with them
- He is a very skilled footballer. In Ukraine, he played for Dynamo Kyiv, Vorskla and Chornomorets, so he joined the Georgian national team with some experience. In the games for the national team this year, Tsitaishvili has shown quite good football. This guy is characterized by good maneuverability, high-speed actions, technique and high efficiency. The players of our national team need to pay increased attention to him, as well as to the star of Georgian football, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia of Napoli.
- To achieve a positive result and preserve their chances of taking first place in the group, Serhii Rebrov's team only needs a victory. How do you think it can be achieved?
- First of all, our team must have a team spirit and cohesion. When playing together, you should strictly adhere to the game discipline, show perseverance and activity in the attack. And the control of the ball should be forward, not passing the ball across the field or unreasonably rolling it back. After all, rolling back is cowardly football, which does not allow you to achieve a positive result. But the most important thing is dedication and full concentration until the final whistle. Only under these conditions can we count on success in the match with the Georgians. And not only with them, but with any opponent. I also hope for the support of our compatriots, of whom there are many in Poland. I am confident that the Ukrainian fans in the stands will drive Rebrov's team forward, and this will allow them to receive a positive charge for effective attacks. Each attack of the Ukrainian national team should end with either a shot on target, a flank shot or a cross into the opponent's penalty area. It should not be the case that our players managed only one shot on goal during the entire match.
Viacheslav Kulchytskyi
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