Ukrainian coach Ruslan Kostyshyn shared his impressions of the Nations League match between the national teams of Albania and Ukraine (1:2).
— Compared to the match in Batumi, our coaching staff made four changes in the starting lineup. Was this the right decision by Serhiy Rebrov?
— Yes. Our coaching staff did everything right. The matches against Georgia and Albania were only two days apart. We needed fresh players to add intensity. Among the so-called newcomers, two became the authors of the goals: Zinchenko and Yaremchuk.
By the way, we previously saw how Sudakov and Shaparenko literally duplicated each other's positions. Now Mykola was on the bench, while Oleksandr Zinchenko positioned himself a bit to the right of the center. He played wonderfully with his left foot, moving closer to the center of the field, and was very dangerous. Probably, Zinchenko can play in all positions except central defender.
— Already in the 10th minute of the match, we were leading 2:0. You rarely see that from our team.
— I agree. That was a very good and quality start to the game. Our activity from the very first minute led us to victory. If Zinchenko scored the first goal after a deflection, the second goal was scored as a result of a great attack. Everything was done masterfully, in one touch. Yaremchuk just finished the efforts of his teammates.
— Do you agree that the first half of the match in Albania was the best for our national team in 2024?
— Probably, it is so. It was quality football performed by our players. Our guys scored two goals and fully controlled the situation on the football field. I would highlight Zinchenko's correct play in the midfield. When necessary, he accelerated the game, when there was a need—he held the ball. The hosts couldn’t find any counter-arguments. Such a dominance of the Ukrainian national team before the break was determined by the flow of the match.
— But what happened in the second half, when the hosts, who were cheering their fans, rushed into attack…
— It often happens. Probably, the confidence of our players turned into overconfidence. Silvinho changed the structure of his national team's play, and the hosts started pressing. If I speak generally, I would say that the Albanian players deserved to score a goal. Regarding the penalty awarded against Trubin, I have no questions. Our goalkeeper committed a foul, and the Portuguese referee João Pinheiro figured everything out without VAR. However, the result was extremely important for both teams.
— With a score of 1:2, were you worried about the final score since there were still about 20 minutes left to play?
— When Albania converted the penalty, concerns crept in. But, to the credit of our boys, they didn’t let the opponent create anything near our goal. Serhiy Rebrov made a timely substitution, refreshing the game, and Talovyerov's entry onto the field justified itself. Playing with three central defenders helped maintain calm during numerous set pieces near our goal.
— Based on what you've seen, was this a deserved victory for our national team?
— Yes. It was an important match, considering the tournament situation for both the Ukrainian and Albanian national teams. We spent the second half playing to the score. Let’s not forget that our players played in Batumi and Tirana, while the Albanians played both matches at home. We endured the high pace of the match and deserved the three points.
— Is second place in our Nations League group a good result?
— This can be debated. In my opinion, our squad potential allows us to say that our national team was the strongest in our group of teams. We could have finished in first place in the group. However, we started this cycle very poorly, losing to Albania and the Czech Republic. Our mistakes did not allow us to qualify directly for Group A.
— In the current Nations League, we had five debutants in the national team — Kabayev, Kalyuzhny, Sych, Nazarenko, and Krytskiy. Which of these newcomers impressed you the most?
— Ivan Kalyuzhny. He played the most—4 matches, and showed a good level of skill. At any time, any team needs fresh blood. A team is a living organism, and it needs rejuvenation. It is clear that our coaching staff follows potential candidates, and they all represent the UPL. Nazarenko is also showing himself well, he has goal opportunities in every game. Yes, it will be a bit harder for him because Viktor Tsygankov and Oleksiy Hutsuliak play in his position.
— This was the final match for the national team of Ukraine in 2024. What interim results can we summarize?
— From history, we know that the last match is remembered. We won in Tirana, and everyone is in a good mood. We will wait for the playoff draw of the Nations League. Among our possible opponents—Belgium, Scotland, Serbia, and Hungary—it is hard to choose just one. We will wait a bit. November 19 was the 1000th day of the war unleashed by the aggressor against our country. On such a day, we couldn’t have played any other way. It is clear that our footballers wanted to please our warriors; for them, it was a powerful motivation. We are all fighting for victory in different fields, and this is our strength.