OLEKSANDR ZINCHENKO has warned England’s rock solid defence: Nobody’s perfect.
Zinchenko and his Ukraine side will attempt to become the first team to score against the Three Lions during Euro 2020 when they two sides meet in Rome on Saturday.
The Manchester City wideman admits it will take the performance of their careers if they are to upset the odds and secure a semi-final place – but they are planning to do just that.
Zinchenko, 24, said: “Numbers speak for themselves, and the fact that England hasn’t conceded any goals so far shows they play very well in defence.
“But there are no perfect teams. Every team has weaknesses.
“Over the last couple of years I’ve been playing with Kyle Walker and John Stones, and they play to a very high level. And last season they played amazing.
“It will not be easy, we know. But at this stage of the tournament, everything is possible.
“The coaching team will tell us how score and we will do our best, we will try to surprise them.
“But we realise that to get through, all the players and the whole team, they will need to play probably the best game of their lives.”
Ukraine’s progress through to the last eight has even surprised many back home – and few have given them a realistic chance of beating England.
The energy-sapping extra-time win over Sweden, having scraped through to the last 16 in the final third-placed spot from the group stage, has marked them out as huge underdogs in the Olympic Stadium.
But manager Andriy Shevchenko believes it would be wrong to underestimate just how strong the collective character is within his squad.
Shevchenko said: “We totally understand the team we will be playing against. But we also know our strong side.
“We showed already our character at this tournament. We showed the principles of our game and we will never change them.
“I know how difficult this game will be for us, but I know that our players have character, and we will try to show it.”
Now the former Chelsea and AC Milan striker is calling on the 250,000-strong Ukrainian community in Italy to try to get to the stadium to support the team – and wants the Italian fans on his side too.
He added: “England is one of the best teams at this Euros, it is one of the most balanced teams.
“Gareth Southgate has gathered an amazing group, and the team that plays more than football.
“England is in one of the best moments in its history, English football is going up now.
“However, we do have a significant Ukrainian community here in Italy and we hope they’ll be at the stadium. In fact, I invite them to come to the Stadio Olimpico to get behind the team.
“And I also expect Italian fans to come to the stadium and I hope they can get behind Ukraine as well.
“Ukraine deserves the sympathy from the fans for how well we have played, how well they have tried at this tournament.”
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