Ruslan Kostyshin: In the game with Albania, Sergei Rebrov made a timely substitution, refreshing the game, and Taloverov’s entry onto the football field justified itself

Ukrainian team wins finished their performances in the group tournament League of Nations: Sergei Rebrov’s team in Tirana won against Albania with a score of 2:1. The most significant events match Albania – Ukraine we discussed with ex-head coach of Kolos Ruslan Kostyshin.

— Compared to the match in Batumi, our coaching staff made four changes to the starting lineup. Was this the right decision of Sergei Rebrov?

– Yes. Our coaching staff did everything right. The matches against Georgia and Albania were separated by only two days. We needed fresh players who would add intensity. Of the so-called newcomers, two became the authors of the goals scored, we are talking about Zinchenko and Yaremchuk.

By the way, we have previously seen how Sudakov and Shaparenko literally duplicate each other’s positions. Now Nikolai remained on the bench, and Alexander Zinchenko was located slightly to the right of the center. He, playing excellently with his left foot, moved closer to the center of the field and was very dangerous. Probably, Zinchenko can play in all positions, except as a central defender.

— By the 10th minute of the match we were winning with a score of 2:0. This is something you rarely see performed by our team…

– I agree. It was a very good and high-quality start to the game. Our activity, from the first minute, led us to victory. And if Zinchenko scored the first goal by shooting after a rebound, then the second goal was scored as a result of a cool attack. Everything there was done masterfully, in one touch. Yaremchuk only completed the partners’ efforts.

— Do you agree that the first half of the match in Albania was the best for our team in 2024?

– Perhaps that is so. It was high-quality football performed by our players. Our guys scored two goals and were in complete control of the situation on the football field. Here I will note Zinchenko’s correct play in the middle of the field. When necessary, he sharpened the game; when necessary, he held the ball. The hosts never found any counterarguments. Such an advantage of the Ukrainian team at the break was due to the course of the match.

— But what happened in the second half, when the hosts, encouraged by their fans, rushed into the attack…

– This happens often. Probably, the confidence of our players turned into self-confidence. Silvinho changed the structure of his team’s game, and the host players began to put pressure. Generally speaking, I would say that the players of the Albanian national team deserved to score a goal. I have no questions about the penalty against Trubin. Our goalkeeper fouled, and Portuguese referee Joao Pineiro sorted it out without VAR. However, the result was extremely important for both teams.

— When the score was 1:2, were you afraid for the final score, because there were still about 20 minutes left to play?

— When Albania scored the penalty kick, fears crept in. But, to the credit of our guys, they didn’t let the enemy create anything at our gates. Sergei Rebrov made a timely substitution, refreshing the game, and Taloverov’s entry onto the football field justified itself. Playing with three central defenders helped us gain calm in the face of numerous set-pieces in front of our goal.

— In general, based on what we saw, was this a natural victory for our team?

– Yes. This was an important match based on the tournament situation for both the Ukrainian and Albanian national teams. We spent the second half playing according to the score. Let’s not forget that our players played in Batumi and Tirana, while the Albanians played both matches in their own walls. We withstood the high pace of the match and deserved three points.

— Is second place in our Nations League group a good indicator?

“We can have a discussion here.” In my opinion, our personnel potential allows us to say that our team was the strongest in our quartet of teams. We could easily finish in first place in the group. However, we started this cycle very poorly, losing to Albania and the Czech Republic. Our mistakes did not allow us to directly qualify for group A.

— In the current League of Nations, we had five debutants to the national team – Kabaev, Kalyuzhny, Sych, Nazarenko and Kryskiv. Which of these newcomers is your favorite?

— Ivan Kalyuzhny. He played the most – 4 matches, and showed a good level of skill. At any time, any team needs fresh blood. The team is a living organism and needs to be rejuvenated. It is clear that our coaching staff is looking after the candidates, and they all represent the UPL. Nazarenko also performs well, he has scoring chances in every game. Yes, it will be a little more difficult for him, because Viktor Tsygankov and Alexey Gutsulyak play in his position.

— This was the final match for the Ukrainian national team in 2024. What interim results can be drawn?

“We know from history that it is the latter that is remembered. We won in Tirana and everyone is in a good mood. We will wait for the draw for the Nations League playoffs. Of our possible rivals – Belgium, Scotland, Serbia and Hungary – it is difficult to choose just one. Let’s wait a little. November 19th was the 1000th day of the war that the aggressor unleashed against our country. On such a day we could not play differently. It is clear that our football players wanted to please our soldiers; for them it was super motivational. We are all fighting for victory, in different directions, and this is our strength.