Mladen Bartulovich: "In the end, we created really good opportunities and could snatch the victory"

The head coach of "Metalist 1925" Mladen Bartulovich shared his impressions of the first official match after the winter break:

– Mladen, the first match after the winter break. How do you evaluate the team's performance?

– First of all, I congratulate everyone on the start of the second round. As for the match, we were really looking forward to it and wanted to win. We were focused only on winning, but the game turned out to be tough because both "Kryvbas" and we didn't want to make mistakes. Overall, there were few moments, but in the end, we created really good opportunities and could have snatched the victory. If we had scored, it could have been considered a deserved win, but we didn't score — we have a draw. We move on, there are many matches ahead.

– In recent years, winter in Ukraine has been warmer, but now it's cold. You returned from Spain, there were difficult conditions for preparation. Did the field today also affect the game?

– Of course, the field is not ideal. It is the same for both teams, so we need to get used to it. We had better fields at the training camp, but we have what we have. This is our football — we need to play, work, and everything will be fine.

– Today, two winter newcomers made their debut. Can you say a few words about Arevalo and Baptiste?

– This is the first match for Arevalo. He is adapting to our championship and conditions. In my opinion, he will definitely add value — we know his capabilities. Baptiste could have scored a goal in his debut, but it was a bit short. He has great potential and perspective.

– Can you say a few more words about Itodo, who prepared separately from the team? Have you forgotten what style of football you demand to play?

– Yes, of course, I haven't forgotten. We monitored his preparation. We were constantly in touch with the youth team coaches. He played in all matches, performed additional tasks and training. He is in good shape. When we returned, we saw that he had also worked well.