Former defender of “Shakhtar” and the Ukrainian national team Olexandr Kuchер assessed the draw of the playoff round of the Nations League, where our team will meet the national team of Belgium.
Olexandr Kuchер— Olexandr, Ukraine will play against Belgium in the Nations League playoff. How do you assess the opponent?
— Belgium, Scotland, Serbia, and Hungary are equal in strength. We can play against the Belgians now. We faced them in the summer at the European Championship and had chances to win. So, I think everything is in our hands now.
— Yes, there was a goalless draw with Belgium at Euro, but they played more anti-football because they were satisfied with a draw.
— Yes, they performed very poorly at Euro, I agree with that. We had a big chance to beat them and advance, but we did not take it.
— Can Belgium still be called a top national team?
— Of course, they can. They have very strong footballers, so it cannot be considered that Belgium is a weak opponent. It’s a qualified team with a strong squad. I think it won’t be easy against them because it’s the playoffs. Yes, anything can happen, but the team is very strong.
— Why are the Belgians experiencing a crisis?
— Perhaps they are currently undergoing a generational change. Because of this, the team is wobbling and showing very unremarkable performances. We can see that there are problems. But it’s hard to say what else is affecting them... Of course, they are introducing some new players into the squad, looking and searching for their game. But I repeat, it won’t be easy; the opponent is powerful.
— Do you see similarities between Ukraine and Belgium?
— Somewhere it is so. The teams are searching for their game, picking the squad, and somewhere there is a change of players, a generational shift is happening. This all affects the results and the game that the team shows. Of course, there are similarities. I hope our national team finds itself quickly and shows its best result in the match against the Belgians.
— What other parallels can be drawn?
— The teams have similarities ahead. A powerful forward, let’s not forget that we both have quick flanks. In both teams, players who can play with the ball, pass, and cut through the opponent are featured in the midfield. Of course, all teams have certain similarities, but we need to show our game and win.
— At Euro, after the match against Ukraine, Belgian fans booed their national team for the level of play. Will this be an additional motivation for them?
— This will be a completely different game, a different story that will consist of two matches. Of course, at home, they will try to justify themselves before their fans, so they will want to show a better game. It will be very difficult for us away. Also, a plus for the Belgians is that they will play the away match on neutral ground, not in Ukraine.
— So if Ukraine beats Belgium, will that be a sensation?
— I think so.
— What are the chances for both teams now?
— I don’t want to evaluate the chances because everything is decided on the football field anyway. You can say a lot, but there is a football field where the winner will be determined.
Andriy Pavlechko
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