Former midfielder of the Ukrainian national team Serhiy Kravchenko, who currently works on the coaching staff of Zhytomyr’s Polissya, predicted the outcome in the qualifying group «D» of the 2026 World Cup, where the Ukrainian national team is participating.
Serhiy Kravchenko. Photo — FC Polissya— Serhiy, in your opinion, what will be the outcome in our qualifying group?
— It’s very important that our team achieved the maximum result in the October matches. As for the prediction, of course, one might shout at the top of one’s lungs that we will win the two remaining matches and qualify for the World Cup in first place. But to be realistic, we need to strive to do everything possible to secure second place and make it to the playoffs.
— We currently have an advantage over Iceland in terms of points.
— I agree. But it’s important to remember that in the World Cup qualifying tournament, goal difference is primarily considered. To feel somewhat comfortable, we need to secure at least a draw in Paris. But if we assume the worst-case scenario, before the last round, Ukraine and Iceland may have the same number of points, so the «blue-yellows» would need a win, as we will likely be trailing the Icelanders in goal difference regardless.
— What will be the final position of the Ukrainian national team?
— Second.
— So, we need to defeat Iceland on our nominal home field?
— I really want to believe that. At the same time, we must understand that in the last round, we will face a strong opponent. Let our match in Reykjavik (5:3, victory for the Ukrainian team, — ed. note) not mislead the fans. Yes, Sergey Rebrov’s team did well to win, but the «blue-yellows» showed an anomalous level of performance in terms of xG. In football, it is extremely rare for five goals to go into the opponent’s net with an xG of 0.77. And if we analyze the game itself, there are enough questions for our team in this regard.
— What is the average xG for five goals scored?
— Around two. Anyway, these are just numbers, so while I would be surprised, I wouldn’t mind a repeat of the Reykjavik story in Warsaw. The main thing is to win. (Smiles).
