Ukrainian coach Yuriy Benyo shared his impressions of the first match of the Nations League playoffs for the right to compete in Division "A" Ukraine - Belgium (3:1).
Yuriy Benyo"The impressions are positive. We managed to turn the game around, now we have a two-goal lead.
At halftime, the coaching staff told us to play more aggressively up front. There was more pressing, which forced the Belgian players to make mistakes.
We should also note the successful substitutions. All the players who came on strengthened the game. Meanwhile, the substitutions for the Belgians weakened them. After all, De Bruyne in the midfield could have brought calmness to the team with his experience.
After the first conceded goal, it was clear that Belgium had a psychological break, and we took advantage of it. That was a turning point. In such matches, such mistakes sometimes have a decisive impact. You see how much it affected the team. They also had several young players. At this level, experience plays a very significant role. And that mistake caused chaos. It was clear that De Winter was simply not in the game for about five minutes after that goal. And also several other Belgian players.
We could have even scored a fourth goal on those emotions. However, by the end, we psychologically adjusted to the score that was. But we were flying in the second half," said Benyo.
