Ukrainian national team defender Illia Zabarnyi along with head coach Serhiy Rebrov took part in a press conference the day before a World Cup 2026 qualifier match against Azerbaijan in Krakow.

— Illia, how do you think can we avoid underestimating Azerbaijan?

— At this level of tournament, there cannot be any underestimation of the opponent. We see that all teams are good at defending and know how to play football. So no underestimation, I focus on my game and know what needs to be done. 

— Ruslan Malinovskiy returned after a serious injury and scored two goals. How did his experience help the team with many younger players?

— Ruslan was really missed. We knew what he is capable of as a footballer, we knew his strengths. Our team needed him one hundred percent. In Iceland, it was a tough match, but he scored two goals and greatly helped the national team. 

— How uncomfortable did the first game against Azerbaijan, which ended at night, leave? And if we compare September's Ukrainian squad with today's, what is the difference?

— Indeed, it was unpleasant to play against Azerbaijan late at night, but that’s football. Sometimes such things happen and you have to come out of this situation. What has changed? We are still the same team, not much time has passed. As then, we prepare for a tough game. We prepare to win. 

Reminder, the World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Ukraine and Azerbaijan will take place on October 13 in Krakow (kick-off at 9:45 PM Kyiv time).