OLEKSANDR Petrakov if hopeful the return of Everton full-back Vitaliy Mykolenko will help Ukraine to produce a much improved performance in a Nations League rematch with Scotland which he has labelled “a final”.
Petrakov’s team can leapfrog Steve Clarke’s side into top spot in Group B1 and secure a Euro 2024 play-off spot and promotion to the A League if they triumph in the Cracovia Stadium tomorrow evening.
Andriy Yarmalenko and his team mates, who won the Qatar 2022 play-off-semi-final 3-1 in Glasgow back in June, lost 3-0 at Hampden last Wednesday night.
They bounced back from that disappointment with a 5-0 victory over Armenia in Yerevan on Saturday afternoon and their manager, who made 11 changes for that match, feels having Mykolenko available will make a huge difference.
Petrakov paid tribute to his Scotland counterpart Clarke and the SFA for agreeing to move the play-off match and Nations League fixture following the Russian invasion of his country - but stressed he is determined to avenge their loss last week and win the section.
“We played in the World Cup semi-final play-off and we beat Scotland 3-1,” he said. “Then we played a Nations League match and we lost 3-0. So it is a draw, one to one. Tomorrow is the final and we will see who will win.
“I want to say thank you to the Scotland national team, their national federation and their head coach. You transferred the game later to allow us to play the play-offs later plus the National League in September due to the war in Ukraine.
“We are so grateful for this decision and, I say it again, we just want to say thank you for your understanding and for believing in us. As for promotion to Group A, yes, it is our target and we all wish to be promoted.”
Petrakov added: “I just want to be honest that before the last match against Scotland the physical condition of our players was really problematic. You have to understand that we’re not like a team like France, for example, which has three equal experienced teams. We’re Ukraine and we have good players.
“When we lose important players – experienced players – we miss them so much on the pitch. We have missed Mykolenko, but now he is okay and he is ready. We have one team, a good team, and I believe in my team. We have 23 boys available, they are healthy and they are ready for tomorrow’s match.
“I am really sure that tomorrow we will show a good game and we will do our best. I’ll say it again, it is a final for us. We will play for our country and all of our fans.”
Ukraine are having to play their final Nations League game in Poland because of the war with Russia – but Petrakov is hopeful his players will have the majority of the crowd in the stadium behind them and can take advantage of that.
“It is a reality that all of our matches are away matches,” he said. “We really have to understand our biggest desire is to play home matches and to come back home for the good of the Ukrainians as soon as possible. But once again it is our reality. We feel like home here, so everything is okay.”
Petrakov’s contract with the Ukrainian Association of Football runs out after the Scotland game so victory tomorrow night will also go a long way towards determining his future. “We don’t have any negotiations and it is a question for the president and for the federation of Ukraine not for me,” he said.
