A team driven by their hearts won with their heads in Scotland to lift their nation’s spirits but know they must finish the job
Yet within minutes Ukraine had clicked into a performance that felt cool, considered, lucid, logical. It seemed reasonable to wonder whether they would tear away like headless chickens and burn themselves out; instead they put on a study in control after a scruffy first 10 minutes and it was a reminder, heightened upon glancing down the starting XI’s parent clubs, that these are professionals of exceptional pedigree as well as fierce patriots.
It is a considerable task given Wales, perhaps inferior man for man but exceptionally coached and in fine spirits, will surely offer a more exacting challenge. After Artem Dovbyk ran clear to make absolutely sure of the outcome, half of the team fell to their knees. In other words, the approach that served them so admirably in Glasgow will do the trick. Malinovskyi, whose Serie A season finished on 21 May, was not surprised to see his domestic-based colleagues compensate for their lack of action. “We had great performances in training,” he said. “We always push and sometimes it even looks like an official game. Everyone goes in with tackles and we even get some injuries.
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