Dynamo head coach Ihor Kostiuk spoke to the media on the eve of the second UEFA Europa League qualifying match against Greek side PAOK.
– In 2019 you faced PAOK while coaching Dynamo U19. Many players from that team are now part of the first team. What do you remember most from that encounter?
– What I remember is that it was a well-organized team. Despite the fact that we won 3:0 in Kyiv, we conceded two goals in the first half here. But we managed to level the game. I also remember the atmosphere. Unfortunately, at the end of the match, just like in our game against PAOK in Lublin, it was unpleasant to feel the pressure from the stands. Bottles, lighters – everything was flying at our heads. There were also displays of aggression from the PAOK players and supporters. We couldn't leave the stadium for two hours. That is what I remember, and that is why we expect the same atmosphere tomorrow.
– In the first match, Dynamo had difficulties in defense, with Konstantelias in particular causing many problems. Do you have a special plan for tomorrow's match to avoid those issues?
– Of course, he is one of the key players in the PAOK squad. Opponents at this level make good use of our mistakes, and that is exactly what PAOK did. The team takes advantage of such moments – they transition quickly from defense to attack, and their players position themselves well. But we have drawn our conclusions. I believe that will help us in tomorrow's match.
– How likely is it that Kędziora will switch from right-back to central defender tomorrow? Is that an option you are considering?
– We are not going to reveal all our cards just yet. Of course, we have Plan A, Plan B and Plan C. You will see everything during the match tomorrow.
– What is the condition of the injured Kabaiev, Tymchyk and Mykhailenko?
– Kabaiev is here, and he has already returned to training with the main group. Tymchyk and Mykhailenko stayed in Lublin and are training individually.
– Before the first game, you said that you lacked enough information to form an opinion about PAOK under their new head coach. Now, after the first match, how would you describe this team?
– The first thing we experienced ourselves was the quality of their players, who made good use of our mistakes. What we had planned - not to give the opponent space while making the most of our own chances - worked. But the mistakes we made during the transitional phases played a key role in the match. We scored first, but then made an unfortunate mistake that the opponent took advantage of, and the team dropped a little mentally and psychologically. Then we conceded a second goal, but at halftime we spoke with the players, leveled the game, controlled the play, and could have scored. Unfortunately, we made a tactical mistake and conceded a third goal. But our team showed character, scored a second goal, and could have scored a third as well.
I believe an interesting match awaits us tomorrow. Only the first half is behind us. There is nothing impossible. The game will show everything.
