The coach of the “blue-yellows” summed up the results of the match, which ended in a draw.
Head coach of the Ukrainian national team Serhiy Rebrov commented on the draw with Georgia in the match of the 5th round of the group stage of the League of Nations of the 2024/25 season.
The match at the Batumi Arena stadium in the Georgian city of Batumi ended with a score of 1:1.
– Have you said anything in the locker room after such a tough game?
– What words? I said that I am grateful to the players for the dedication they showed on the field. It was difficult to create anything on such a tough field. But it is very difficult to play on such a high score, especially against an opponent like Georgia, when they play at home with great support.
Unfortunately, we did not hold on to this result. We could have snatched it, we could have scored at the end, but we have what we have and are now preparing for an equally important match with Albania.
– What was the main factor in this game? What was the difference between the 1st and 2nd halves?
– I think the main factor was that we scored a fairly quick goal. The result was very important for us today, and the players tried to hold on to this result. Perhaps that was why there was such a defect, perhaps that was why we sat in a fairly low block.
It is very difficult, the players understand what country we are playing for. They give their all, but I think that today the results had a very strong influence on the actions of our players.
Once again: we played against the Georgian team, which played at home, played with the support of its stands. I think that today the Georgian team really played with a different motivation than the first meeting,” Rebrov said.
After this match, the Ukrainian team (5 points) remained in last place in Group B1. The Georgian team (7 points) moved into first place. In another match of the 5th round of this quartet today at 21:45 Kyiv time, Albania (6 points) will face the Czech Republic (7 points).
In the final round, Rebrov's team will play Albania in Tirana on November 19, while Georgia will play the Czech Republic away.
According to the new format of the League of Nations, a participant in the group tournament in Division B, where the Ukrainian national team competes, if it takes:
- first place – will move up to Division A;
- second place – will play playoffs for promotion to Division A with the team that finishes third in the Division A group;
- third place – will play playoffs for retention of registration in Division B with the team that finishes second in the Division C group;
- fourth place – relegated to Division C.