Dynamo U19 defender Vladyslav Zakharchenko scored the only goal in the home match of the UEFA Youth League Champions Path 3rd round against Scotland’s Hibernian. After the game he shared his thoughts on the victory:
– Of course, it’s nice to score – for my position it’s a rare thing. It’s always a pleasure when you score and lead the team to victory but there is still the second leg so it’s too early to celebrate. We have to finish the job.
– Ihor Kostiuk said that these are your “favourite” goal. You’ve scored in your second consecutive home UEFA Youth League match – last time from a free kick, now from a corner. Is that just a coincidence?
– It’s just a coincidence, I don’t know. We played against a strong team; they are well-organized on the ball and do things properly. But I think we could have played much better – the opponent allowed us to do more but not everything worked for us today. We’ll draw conclusions.
– The opponent was physically strong. Were you ready for that?
– Yes, that’s Scottish football – they always play like that. We don’t go to the gym for nothing either, so yes, we were ready (smiles).
– Three matches remain before the end of the calendar year. What needs to be done to finish the first half of the season on a good note?
– We need to recover properly, use our time wisely, go through the right routines and sleep well. There is rotation and some players didn’t play today – maybe they will help the team in the next matches. We’ll see.
– In the UEFA Youth League Dynamo are playing against national champions since this is the Champions Path. Did Hibernian seem physically stronger than Brommapojkarna to you?
– For me both teams are equally strong. I wouldn’t say it was easier against the Scots than against the Swedes. But if team has reached this stage of the UEFA Youth League, that already shows their level.
– How satisfied are you with the team’s defensive performance in this match?
– We prepared for their playing style and understood how they would create chances so nothing surprised us. They play a lot of vertical football, sending passes in behind. We were ready for it. In the second half we made adjustments, fixed what wasn’t working – and everything turned out well.
– How much did the weather conditions in Poland – snow and cold – as well as training on artificial turf affect the match?
– I don’t think it played a significant role. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t train on natural grass but the opponent had the same conditions and played in the rain just like we did. So it didn’t affect the game.
