As the group stage of the UEFA Europa League progresses, the competition between the teams is getting more and more intense. Ukraine is about to face Slovakia in the second round of the group stage, which is a key match for both sides. In the pre-match press conference, Ukraine's defender Zinchenko expressed his views and expectations for the upcoming match.
Zinchenko began by recalling the Ukrainian team's previous match against Romania, arguing that matches like that are not uncommon in the world of soccer and that every match is a learning opportunity. "Matches like the one against Romania happen all the time, and in the world of soccer anything can happen. It's best that we don't say much about it, but I'm sure everyone learned from it, both individually and collectively." He said, while expressing a preference to focus on the upcoming match against Slovakia.
Zinchenko has high praise for Slovakia as an opponent and expects it to be a very tough game. "We expect it to be a very tough game because the opponent is a very strong team in both defense and offense." He emphasized that every corner of the stadium will be a focal point for the two sides, and the team that wins these "little battles" will win the entire match.
When asked if the Ukrainian team still believed in their chances of winning the title, Zinchenko answered in the affirmative. "All of us are working hard, we are pursuing our dreams. If we didn't believe in ourselves, we wouldn't be here." He said, while emphasizing the need for the team to express their beliefs more through actions than words. According to Zinchenko, the Ukrainian team does believe in their ability to go far, but it all needs to be proven through actual performances on the pitch.
Speaking about the team's current mentality and motivation, Zinchenko referred to the ongoing conflict in the country and said that it has given the team extra motivation. "Is it difficult for us to adjust ourselves? For those who are now risking their lives in defense of our country, they are facing much greater difficulties than we are. So we have a triple motivation: the love of soccer, the desire to win, and the honor of fighting for our country." He said, while stating that the team needs to focus all their attention and efforts on the upcoming match, forget about the previous loss, regroup and fight for victory.
