Yevhen Pavlyuk: "If necessary, I will gladly play as a defensive midfielder"

After defeating "Zorya," Yevhen Pavlyuk, a defender for "Kharkiv," in an interview with UPL TV, talked about the unusual two-day match and his experience playing in the defensive zone:

— What is it like to play football the same match two days in a row? How do you mentally prepare yourself between yesterday's and today's parts of the game?

— These are our realities, we have to accept it, go out and play football. I want to thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine for giving us this opportunity to play, even if it's two days. I believe it shouldn't put any pressure on us. We have to come out after each alarm as we did before the game. So we need to go out and win, as we did today.

— The issue of concentration today became crucial. Especially in the second half of the match, there was a feeling that the team came out maximally focused and ultimately realized much of what it created.

— Yes, I thank the team and coaching staff for tuning us in before the game. Our team came out and did everything it had to do, as requested by the coaching staff. Indeed, after the first corner kick, we were already on the field. We saw how "Veres" scored after an alarm, so we came out with maximum concentration. We needed to recover from that corner kick and start playing our game.

— We are used to seeing you in "Kharkiv" as a central defender. Today was another match that reminded of the game against "Dynamo" last season when you played as a defensive midfielder. Today, three times together with Kalyuzhnyi, you found yourself in the center of the field. How do you feel about this role and the decisions of the coaching staff?

— Honestly, I liked it. I prepared for this game all week. The coaching staff advised me on how to adjust correctly in one situation or another. So I can't say it was very difficult. But you are right that central defender is a more familiar position for me. And if needed, I will gladly play as a defensive midfielder.

— Now you have defeated one of your competitors. How does it feel? There was a good game against "Shakhtar," but zero points - it's nothing. And now you have three points

— Extremely positive emotions. I am thrilled that we won today and that it gives us such a boost to move forward and strive for victories. So congratulations to "Kharkiv" and our fans on the victory!