Former player of Lviv’s "Karpaty" Mykhailo Kopolovets assessed the chances of the Ukrainian national team in the confrontation with Belgium in the Nations League playoffs.
— Mykhailo, you wished the Ukrainian team to face Hungary, but you said that we can play against Belgium. What do you say after the draw?
— I like it when our team plays against stronger teams; we can play football with them. Teams like Romania or Albania play defensively. Belgium shows an open game. So I hope we have a great chance to advance. We know this team well, we can prepare well, and they might underestimate us. We tend to perform better against top teams, so I’m hoping for a good outcome.
— What do you remember about Belgium's performance at Euro?
— I remember they came and played against us not in their best form. The Belgians have several good players— De Bruyne, Doku. But back then, I saw that the team was somewhat disorganized. I hope it remains that way, and we will show our best football. I think our games against them will be very exciting. I don’t think Belgium is the worst opponent for us in the playoffs. They play football; they will open up somewhere, and we can play on the counterattacks. Honestly, I like Rebrov as a coach; I trust him. I think maybe God will help us somewhere, and we will break through.
— Why do you think the Belgians are experiencing a crisis with such top players?
— Now everyone has learned to play football, everyone analyzes opponents, knows their weaknesses. It's to our advantage that things aren’t running smoothly there. Right now, anyone can play against anyone. Who would have thought that Georgia could show such a game? There are no authorities on the field now. You have to play for the national team with soul and heart, fight for every inch of the field, then the class of the team takes a backseat. And there, it doesn’t matter if you’re facing Belgium or not.
— Does the Ukrainian national team have similarities with Belgium?
— No, they are a completely different team. They have much stronger players. If we compare the players, of course, Belgium is stronger than our team individually. They are just experiencing a crisis, but their players are top-tier. Let’s compare De Bruyne with Sudakov. It can be done, but the Belgians are stronger; they are already established. We have a young team that is just starting to materialize. But we can strike against them. Look at the great moments we have in matches, how we break out on counterattacks; these are glimpses of great football. And how well Mudryk played; he is our hope because he can beat, carry the ball, and score. We will need to take advantage of that against Belgium.
— If Ukraine beats Belgium, could this be called a sensation?
— Why should this be a sensation? I don’t think so; they are just people like us. If we beat Argentina—world champions—then that would be a sensation. But this is Belgium; yes, they are a strong team, but we can handle them. I think we will find it more interesting to play against a team like this. It’s clear that they will be the favorites, but I wouldn’t say it would be a sensation. If the Ukrainian national team plays its best game, we can achieve a good result against the Belgians.
Andriy Pavlechenko