Szabo: It will be necessary to hit more often from different distances, otherwise Iceland will not be defeated

Former coach of Dynamo and the Ukrainian national team Jozsef Szabo shared his expectations from the match Ukraine — Iceland in the final qualifying playoffs European Championship 2024.

“There is no favorite in this match, the game will be difficult. I know Iceland well, I’ve played against them several times. Although it was a long time ago, their style has not changed, judging by their match against Israel. Iceland plays strictly defensively with good counterattacks. They have fast players, so our defenders need to be very careful.”

“I am concerned about Mudrik. If he doesn’t have space, it will be difficult for him. He is not a positional player and it is difficult for him to play in a busy defense with insurance.”

“Under no circumstances should Zinchenko be released tomorrow, we need to take care of him, the Icelanders are such bonebreakers. Shaparenko or Malinovsky can be released instead, but it’s up to Rebrov to decide.”

“We could definitely use a player who can shoot and score from 20 meters or more. We must not be afraid to shoot more often from different distances and positions, otherwise Iceland will not be defeated. If we start playing back and forth, nothing will come of it.”

Ukraine’s nominally “home” match with Iceland will take place in Wroclaw, Poland, on March 26. The meeting starts at 21:45 Kyiv time. The match will be judged by a French team of referees led by Clement Turpin. The winner of the confrontation will advance to the 2024 European Championship, where they will play in Quartet E with Belgium, Slovakia and Romania.

Euro 2024 will take place in Germany from June 14 to July 14, 2024. The matches of the European Championship will be held in arenas in Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart.