“The game went well, though we couldn’t capitalize on our chances in the first half,” Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi told CBC Sport.
Assessing Ukraine’s match against Azerbaijan, Malinovskyi said, “Azerbaijan didn’t give up and fought for the full 90 minutes. Both teams had come from challenging matches, but we deserved the win. Azerbaijan showed great character.”
He also noted that Azerbaijan’s captain, Emin Mahmudov, was the toughest opponent on the field: “He played very smartly and skillfully.”
The match in Krakow, Poland, ended with Ukraine defeating Azerbaijan 2-1.
