Yesterday, the Ukraine team in Ta'Qali at the National Stadium of Malta conducted an official training session ahead of their match against the hosts. Defender Vitaliy Mykolenko shared his thoughts on this encounter.

"We expended a lot of energy in the game with North Macedonia, but we still have 24 hours to recover. Plus, we played earlier than Malta did against Italy. I think we will recover well."

The lineup of the Maltese team slightly differs from that of North Macedonia. The most important thing is that the Maltese also play with three central defenders, so it will be a bit easier for us to adapt to our new opponent. Both teams have good attacking players.

Are the hosts clear underdogs? Our main coach correctly said that if we start focusing on other teams, we'll forget about ourselves. If we come out and demonstrate our level and follow all instructions, everything will be fine. If we look too much at others — it will be difficult for us.

Tomorrow there will be great responsibility on everyone's shoulders — not just the attackers. When you attack a lot, large zones open up in defense. So everyone is responsible, even those who stay as substitutes. The match against Malta is not an elimination game, it's another group game, but we know that if we don't score three points in every game, our chances of qualifying for Euro 2024 are slim," — said Vitaliy Mykolenko.

Recall, the Euro 2024 qualifier match between Malta and Ukraine will take place today in Ta'Qali (kick-off at 21:45 Kyiv time).