Sergei Rebrov: "What will this victory be worth if we are not as concentrated in the return match?"

The head coach of the Ukrainian national team Sergei Rebrov summarized the results of the first match against the Belgian national team (3:1) in the playoff of the Nations League for the right to compete in Division "A" of this tournament, which took place last Thursday in Murcia.

Sergei Rebrov

— Are you overwhelmed with emotions right now?

— Not really. Because we have only played the first match. Probably everyone enjoyed the second half, but we need to prepare for the return match. What will today’s match be worth if we are not as concentrated in the return game?

— What did you succeed in to win today?

— By our desire. In the first half, we tried to press, but it didn’t quite work out. At halftime, we made adjustments, and everything changed: in the second half, we pressed more aggressively, won the ball back, created chances. I am grateful to the guys for truly wanting this victory today and doing everything for it. We celebrate today and immediately start preparing for the return match.

I already told the guys: we need to celebrate today and start recovering. They have already started doing this. We will prepare for the return match.

— For the umpteenth time, the Ukrainian national team played the second half much better than the first...

— Don’t forget that we played against Belgium. They are a top opponent, a top team with top players. Everyone understood that. Therefore, probably, the guys were a bit afraid of the opponent in the first half, but after the break, they realized that they could play against them.

— How are the injured Konoplyanka and Sych doing?

— We will see, we will do everything necessary. I hope they will recover, but as far as I see, there are serious injuries...

— How was the support from the stands today?

— The support from the stands in the second half was noticeable: the fans saw that our team started to show the football they want to see. I am grateful for this support. I think everyone enjoyed today’s second half.

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