Former midfielder of the Poltava team – about the match Vorskla – AIK
Poltava Vorskla in the first match of the second qualifying round of the Conference League beat, in a nominally home match, the vice-champion of Sweden AIK with a score of 3:2. Ex-midfielder of the white-greens Ivan Krivosheenko appreciated the game of his former team, as well as the prospects of Poltava in a two-match confrontation.
– Before the start of the first match for Vorskla this year, almost all specialists and bookmakers gave preference to the Swedish AIK. Largely due to the fact that the Swedish championship is in full swing, the game is taking place in Stockholm, we are at war, and Vorskla played the previous official match back in early December?
“Indeed, it is all true. It’s good that our clubs have started playing in European competitions again. In the current situation, when we have a full-scale war, this is already a huge plus for our football. Now the preparation for the new season is a little crumpled. Before the match, I thought that it would be more difficult for our players. As for the game, Vorskla looked great in Stockholm, and even achieved an acceptable result.
Everyone knows that Viktor Skrypnik has been training Vorskla for only three weeks. The new mentor of the Poltava team brought his changes. In midfield, Vorskla tries to play with a rhombus. As in Zorya, where Skripnik worked before, the players must move quickly from defense to attack. Now in Ukraine, in my opinion, is the time for young footballers to prove themselves. I’m sure we’ll see talent. Even yesterday, in the starting lineup of Vorskla, mostly experienced players played, and the replacements were players who were 17-18 years old. And these are pupils of the Poltava Vorskla.
– Did Ruslan Stepanyuk’s quick goal give confidence to his teammates?
– Of course, it is better to score quickly than to concede. This goal slightly reassured our guys.
– Could the fact that the Swedes equalized twice in the first half have a negative impact on our players?
— AIK players scored such goals… In the first moment, Dima Riznyk hit the ball unsuccessfully, and the opponent made the score 1:1. In the second missed ball, the central midfielder did not finish the episode. And in general, in the defense, in the absence of captain Chesnakov, there were problems. Volodya is a leader not only on the field, but also in the locker room. With all this, it is worth noting the good game of the debutant – the Macedonian Zaikov. Although he has yet to play with partners.
– It seemed that after a great first half, Vorskla was less active in attack in the second half. Did our guys keep score or were they just tired?
– I know from my own experience that it is difficult to prepare for the season in three weeks. This time is not enough. New coach, new requirements. As I said, if experienced players played in the first team, then the substitutes were mostly young performers. We remember that last year, the former head coach of Vorskla, Yuri Maksimov, said that he had only 13-14 experienced players. In the summer, Lukas Rangel and Joonas Tamm left the Poltava club, Olivier Thiel, Vladimir Chesnakov and Alexander Sklyar were injured. However, we know that Viktor Skrypnyk is the most experienced specialist, and I think that the Poltava team will only improve. And if it gets even stronger, the composition of Vorskla will be very decent. Competition is always a plus for any team.
– Did you know that Vorskla’s previous victory in European competition dates back to 2018, when Poltava beat Karabakh in the group stage?
I remember that we haven’t won in a long time. The more pleasant success.
– How do you like the game of midfielder Yuriy Kozyrenko, who scored a goal, gave an assist, and generally acted usefully on the left flank?
— Last season he played on loan abroad. Volodya Chesnakov told me that he was a great football player. In addition to the goal, he was very useful both in attack and in defense. Now he has an incentive to grow professionally. It seems to me that Viktor Skripnik will trust him in the future. I believe that the composition of Voskla will gradually rejuvenate, and guys like Kozyrenko have every chance for growth.
– How would you rate Artem Chelyadin’s goal?
– He just came on as a substitute, and literally scored such a beautiful and winning goal with his first touch. He struck from afar, although he had no other chances to continue the attack. It looks like he’s been hit. It was not without luck, of course. Maybe if he had shot 100 more times from this distance, he would not have scored, but here everything turned out as it should be in Vorskla.
– Speaking of Viktor Skripnik, is he already a European coach, given his German past, or is he still a Ukrainian specialist?
– Everyone notes his European approach. How he conducts training, how he communicates with the players. Already in Zara he had a good result. I consider Skrypnyk a European coach, but he was able to adapt to Ukrainian football, which is quite specific.
– Vorskla players in Stockholm had 100% conversion – three shots on target at the AIK goal and three goals …
– Well done. Although the moments, especially in the second half, were good. There were promising 3 v 2 attacks, but they mishandled the ball. Once again I was convinced that the two central defenders of the Swedish team are quite slow. There were passes between the lines. I believe that in the second leg the situation will not change and chances at the AIK goal will appear constantly.
– Who is now the favorite of the confrontation?
— Vorskla. We all saw that this opponent can be beaten and moved on. This is an ordinary, by European standards, team. Yes, the second leg will take place at another stadium – Friends Arena. This is an ultra-modern stadium and it will be completely home for the opponents of Poltava. I have played in Vorskla for many years and will be rooting for the Ukrainian club in the second leg. As for Swedish football, the national team is strong there. Champion of Sweden – Malmö, on Tuesday lost to Lithuanian Zalgiris in the Champions League qualification. This is as an example. Swedish clubs have no stability in Europe.
– This week, Ukrainian fans saw two matches with the participation of our clubs in the European Cups. And if Dynamo mostly suffered in the game with Fenerbahce, then Vorskla played with a smile and achieved victory. Why is there such a contrast?
— Yes, Dynamo did not please our football fans. Not a single shot on target Fenerbahce. Maybe Lucescu overloaded the guys at the training camp. Watching the game in Łódź, I caught myself thinking that the players of the capital’s team, as it were, were wearing 5-6 kg of cargo. Of course, Fenerbahce will be stronger than AIK. But Dynamo spent much more time preparing for the season than Vorskla. The most experienced Lucescu, I think, will deal with this. I am convinced that neither the players of Dinamo nor the coaching staff of the team liked their game against Fenerbahce. However, having played to zero, and having Bushchan at the gate, our guys will go to Istanbul to win. The chances of passing are equal for both Dynamo and Fenerbahce.
Source: Sportarena
