Mikolenko: We can say that only the first 10 minutes of the match with Albania were ideal

Defender Ukrainian national team Vitaly Mykolenko commented on the away victory over Albania (2:1) in the final sixth round Nations League 2024/25.

“I have somewhat mixed emotions from the match with Albania, because the game was very difficult. A difficult training camp with two away matches, but I’m happy because we showed ourselves as a team, won four points and took second place in the group. We completed this League of Nations cycle well, although not perfectly.”

“Sergei Stanislavovich wished us good luck in the clubs we are now switching to. I would like to thank our fans who supported us from different parts of the world. We felt this support and saw the messages. Honestly, we tried really hard until the very end and won three points.”

“We can say that the first 10 minutes of this match were ideal, but then… The first half, I think, was very good, but in the second half, perhaps, we psychologically understood a little that with the score 2:0 we need to play easier. At the end they could have scored three goals and closed this match, but it turned out how it turned out. I think we deserved to win. We could have won with a bigger score, more calmly. But it was such a nerve-wracking ending. The main thing is that we scored one more goal.”

Ukraine finished in second place in Group B1 of the 2024/25 Nations League. Over the course of six rounds, Rebrov’s team scored eight points, recording two wins, two draws and two losses.

The blue-and-yellows made it to the playoffs for the right to advance to Division A. Ukraine can play Scotland, Hungary, Serbia or Belgium. The draw will take place on Friday, November 22. The playoff matches themselves will take place next year – on March 20 and 23.