FC Dynamo Kyiv head coach Oleksandr Shovkovskyi answered journalists’ questions after the Champions League second qualifying round first leg against FK Partizan Belgrade (6:2).
- Congratulations on this victory, but I want to emphasize we haven’t completed our task yet. There’s still the second leg and we’ll be getting ready the same way as for this match. We’ll watch this game and analyze our mistakes. But the most important aspect is the dedication we saw on the field. Guys fulfilled the game plan and now we have pretty good result before the second leg.
- Why wasn’t Oleksandr Tymchyk on squad list today?
- Unfortunately he got injured at the training camp. We’re looking forward to his return. So far he works individually.
- Was the substitution of Karavayev about his mistake that resulted in penalty?
- Firstly, you’ll never know what’s going on in our locker-room. Secondly, I felt we needed those two substitutions.
- Fans created incredible atmosphere today. Dynamo president said he hadn’t seen anything like that over the last four years. How was the atmosphere for you?
- You know, I was completely immersed in the game. Of course, I could feel the aura, but I couldn’t allow myself to succumb to the charm and fully enjoy the atmosphere. It was vital to be fully concentrated, to feel rhythm of the team, to give some hints. When you are in the game, you can influence it, and when you are distracted, the game passes you by.
- Today was your first official game of the season, but Dynamo played a real extravaganza, scoring six goals. How would you rate the start and the preparatory stage in general?
- This game gave us some information. Generally, what we agreed on before the match actually happened. I won’t say anything about the tactical instructions we tried to convey because we still have a return match ahead of us, but in general the boys did everything we asked for. What I liked the most is that even after conceding a penalty, my players didn’t lose heart and continued to stick to the plan. No matter how the match turns out, we have to be focused until the final whistle.
- Did players who took the field in the second half enforce the team? Pikhalionok scored his debut goal for Dynamo…
- We know we have really good performers in the midfield. We determine which of them is in the starting lineup based on the tasks that are set for a specific opponent, on certain game episodes. All players on the team are the main squad, including those who are currently representing Dynamo in the youth and Olympic national teams of Ukraine.
