FC Metalist vs Kharkivv Preview - Metalist focused on matters closer to home

Posted Wednesday, December 01, 2010 by ESPN

Metalist Kharkiv midfielder Denys Oliynyk insists his team will be thinking only about their own performance when they face Debrecen in the penultimate round of Europa League group fixtures on Wednesday.

The Ukrainian outfit know a victory against the Group I minnows combined with a defeat or draw for Sampdoria against PSV Eindhoven will confirm their place in the last 32 with a game to spare.

The odds appear to be stacked in Metalist's favour, with Debrecen seemingly there for the taking after failing to pick up a point in any of their four group games to date.

Metalist ran out 5-0 winners in the reverse fixture against the Hungarians on matchday one, and Myron Markevich's men will be favourites to walk away with the three points on home soil.

Victory for Sampdoria against PSV will take the battle for qualification down to the final round of group matches regardless of the outcome at Metalist Stadion, but Oliynyk is confident his team-mates will not be sidetracked by events in Genoa.

"I do not even want to watch how they play,'' he said.

"We must see only our own game and set the maximum goal. We must achieve maximum results. Everywhere we have to play only for victory.

"Everyone is ready for a fight, everybody understands the importance of this game. We cannot afford to misfire, we must win.''

Despite the one-sided outcome the last time these two sides met, Oliynyk does not expect Debrecen to be a pushover.

"Debrecen have proved they are a good team. In the game with Sampdoria they barely lost 1-0; against PSV only 2-1. It says something.

"So I am sure that there should be no relaxing. We will all be set at 100% just to win.''

Meanwhile, Debrecen winger Zsolt Laczko hopes lessons have been learned from the heavy loss against Metalist in September, and called on his team-mates to take their opportunities when they are presented on Wednesday night.

"The first meeting was an ugly defeat, the Ukrainians all came together, but we were unlucky,'' he said.

"In the first game we had chances. I trust there will be more this time; it would be nice if we can score.''