Kryvtsov convinced Ukraine can tame Spain

They may have mustered just one point so far, but Serhiy Kryvtsov insists Ukraine can achieve the win against Spain that will prolong their involvement in the tournament.

It has been a slow start for Ukraine in Denmark, with a disappointing 2-1 loss to the Czech Republic prefacing the midweek stalemate with England. Those results have left Kryvtsov and company with arguably the toughest assignment of all: only victory against Group B leaders Spain will take them into the UEFA European Under-21 Championship semi-finals. On the eve of the decider, the 20-year-old central defender was upbeat about their prospects.

"We're in good spirits because we still have a chance," said Kryvtsov. "Even if we had beaten England in our last game we would still need to win against Spain. So we're just preparing for this game, which will be difficult – we're expecting a true battle. Our goal is to qualify and we don't care how many points we need to do so. England have two points and the situation for them is pretty much the same. We need to progress to the semi-finals, regardless of how we do it."

Ukraine will certainly have to be on their mettle to overcome a Spanish side that defeated the Czechs 2-0 after emerging from a dominant display against England with only a 1-1 draw. However, Pavlo Yakovenko's squad can take confidence from a record against Spain at this level that reads: played one, drawn one, lost one. Kryvtsov can also draw on his own experience of having lifted the European title at U19 level in 2009, when Ukraine again failed to win their opening two matches.

"We did win the Under-19 championship in Ukraine," said the FC Shakhtar Donetsk man, "although this tournament is obviously a much higher level. This is the biggest tournament of my career. But Spain are just another football team. We know it's hard to compete with them in possession. They have quality players with great technique. They are quick and powerful, but we're capable of putting on a decent display against them and we'll do just that."

Ever-present in those 2009 finals, Kryvtsov was a key figure in Ukraine's U21 qualifying campaign and has played both group games to date. If his Danish adventure is to continue, the No15 knows he must keep a close eye on Spain's forwards, particularly Adrián, the RC Deportivo La Coruña striker who scored both goals against the Czechs. "All their forwards are quick and skilful, but I expect we will pay a bit more attention to Adrián, who loves to break into the space just behind and in front of the defenders."

If Kryvtsov can tame Spain's dangerman then he may yet repay the loyalty of those supporters who have made his stay in Denmark such a rewarding experience. "We want to thank our fans who have been brilliant. In the first match we were even a bit surprised when they all started to chant 'Ukraine'. It felt like we were playing at home."