Yarmolenko acknowledges Spain task

Andriy Yarmolenko has admitted Ukraine face a difficult challenge when they take on Spain in a Euro 2016 qualifier in Sevilla this Friday.

Ukraine travel to Andalusia joint second in Group C, level on points with holders Spain and three points behind leaders Slovakia, and the Dynamo Kiev winger accepts it is going to be tough for his team.

“We know Spain well and how difficult it is going to be against them,” remarked Yarmolenko in an interview with UEFA.com.

“However we’ll prepare exactly the same way we do for every opponent and spend an hour watching them. It will be the same as if we were playing San Marino.

“We watched four or five of their games, so for Spain we’ll be watching even more – definitely not less!”

Yarmolenko, who helped himself to a hat-trick against Luxembourg, believes his country’s campaign to date has not gone too badly.

“We’re happy with how we’re playing and the results, although I can’t say I’m 100 per cent satisfied because we lost our first game to Slovakia. That was a very important match and we should have won it.

“But by and large we’re happy we’ve won all our games since and there is still the chance to make up for that defeat.”

Ukraine had their first taste of a European Championship finals three years ago and Yarmolenko is eager to grasp the opportunity to be in France next year.

“The squad has changed a bit since Euro 2012 because two outstanding players like [Andriy] Shevchenko and [Andriy] Voronin have retired.

“The young players who have replaced them haven’t experienced these kind of tournaments so we are all desperate to get there.

“We’ll be giving our all to try and make it to the finals,” he declared.

Tags Euro 2016 Ukraine Yarmolenko
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