Former forward of the national team of Ukraine Oleksandr Palyanytsia named those responsible for the significant defeat of Serhiy Rebrov’s team in the return match of the Nations League playoff against the Belgians — 0:3.
Oleksandr Palyanytsia— It’s most disappointing when hopes do not materialize. After a rather unexpected victory a few days ago against the Belgians in Murcia — 3:1, it seemed that the Ukrainian team would make many experts blush, who considered the opponent a clear favorite. To do this, one needed to play boldly and inspired in Genk, as they did in the second half in Spain. But yesterday our boys were unrecognizable, so helpless they were.
In my opinion, the most unpleasant questions should be directed at the coaching staff, which made mistakes with the starting lineup and tactics. From the very first minutes to have almost all players in defense — that’s not football. I agree, compared to Murcia, the Belgians added in aggression, but we should have been prepared for that. And the guests, with their passivity, only contributed to the dominance of the hosts.
There are also questions regarding the physical condition of our players. It seems they simply did not have enough time to recover after Murcia. Therefore, they lacked strength in duels, in support, not to mention running out of their half of the field. What can the national team rely on, which has only approached the penalty area of the opponent on a few occasions?
The failure in Genk is yet another painful blow to the image of Ukrainian football, although it seemed that everything was in our hands, — Palyanytsia’s words quoted by Sport.UA.
