The coach of the “blue-yellows” told us how his team managed to make a spectacular comeback.
The head coach of the Ukrainian national team , Serhiy Rebrov, named the turning point of the first match against Belgium in the playoffs for the right to play in the elite division of the next Nations League.
According to the coach of the “blue-yellows”, the key episode of the match was the goal by Alexey Gutsulyak in the 66th minute.
Gutsulyak came on as a substitute in the 62nd minute instead of Roman Yaremchuk, and four minutes later he equalized the score in the game. After that, our team scored twice more and won a strong-willed victory with a score of 3:1.
“Gutsulyak's game? I know Alexey very well. He didn't need to say anything. I saw that he was in the mood, ready to play, that's why he came out on the field. He went very aggressively to tackle, took the ball. This goal was very important for us, a turning point, it helped the team a lot.
What happened in the second half? We added desire, high pressure, made some adjustments. This confrontation consists of two matches. We succeeded in a lot in the second half. I am very pleased that the guys gained confidence after the first game.
Crazy support from the fans? I am grateful to all the fans who came. They supported the team, thanks to them we turned the tide of the match. We are very grateful. You heard how everyone supported the Ukrainian Armed Forces and our team,” Rebrov said at a press conference after the match.
The return match between the teams on Sunday, March 23, will be hosted by the Belgian city of Genk. The game will start at 21:45 Kyiv time.
The winner of the two-match confrontation between Ukraine and Belgium will receive a place in the most prestigious Division A of the League of Nations. The losing team will play the next tournament in Division B.