Former Myna coach Nikolai Tsimbal shared his thoughts on the match of the 1st round of the World Cup 2026 qualifying tournament Ukraine - France (0:2), and also talked about what he expects from the next match of the Ukrainian national team in this campaign - against the Azerbaijan national team, which will take place this Tuesday in Baku.
Nikolai Tsimbal. Photo — A. Prikhodko- The confrontation with France in Wroclaw has already become history. In my opinion, the score reflected the game. In the first half, Deschamps’ team quickly took the lead and could have scored more, and, as they say, comfortably closed the game. But luck was on the side of the nominal hosts.
However, after the break, the situation on the field changed somewhat, and at some point our team was unlucky.
- Typically, in back-to-back matches, our team performs better in the first one. What should we expect from them next Tuesday in the clash with Azerbaijan in Baku?
- Still, we should not forget that our opponent was a top team, and in my opinion, the second half by Serhiy Rebrov’s players can be credited as a plus. Why did they fail in the first half? Apparently, due to excessive nervousness, that happens when you want to play as well as possible, but for various reasons it doesn’t work out.
- Who among the participants of the match in Baku will be in better physical shape?
- I think there will be a slight advantage on our side, because the Azerbaijanis had to endure a long flight from Reykjavik. Also, in an emotional aspect, the Ukrainians are in a winning position. They played well in the second half against the French, while the Azerbaijanis were crushed in the match against Iceland. These are our “trump cards,” and importantly, the Ukrainians have a more balanced lineup.
By the way, as I see it, in Baku, they should not delay with scoring against the hosts. Because I noticed that after conceding a goal, the Azerbaijanis start to act recklessly, do not maintain game discipline, which leads to threats to their possessions. It should be remembered that the hosts often use a tactic of small fouls, simulate, to throw their opponent off balance. Our players should be prepared for this, but it is very important to score a quick goal.
Dmitry Oleynik
