Dynamo head coach Ihor Kostiuk answered journalists' questions during the post-match press conference following the first leg of the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round against Romanian side Universitatea (Cluj-Napoca), which ended in a 0:0 draw.
– There is the result, and there is the performance. Could you first assess the performance and then the result?
– Good evening. You are right: there is the performance, and there is the result. As for the result, I can say that we created chances today but were unable to convert them. However, this is only the first half of this tie.
As for the performance, in the first half of the match our team played quite cautiously. There was a certain nervousness: we did not play forward often enough, and there were too many intermediate passes. The opponent defended well, while we lacked aggression, vertical passes, and accuracy in the final phase. At the same time, we had the advantage, did well in transition phases, and after losing the ball we practically did not allow the opponent to create dangerous chances.
That is a positive aspect but in attack we lacked individual quality, confidence, and composure in the final phase. Because of that, we were unable to score our goals.
– Near the end of the game floodlights at the stadium went out. How did that affect your team, and did the interruption work in the opponent's favor?
– Of course, we had the advantage, were playing well, and were actively creating chances, but the forced interruption disrupted the tempo somewhat, slowed the game down, and reduced the intensity of the match. I think that benefited the opponent more. But the game had to be finished. After play resumed, there were about ten minutes left, but we were unable to create enough danger and clear-cut chances or convert our opportunities.
In the end, we have a 0:0 draw. We understand exactly what needs to be improved before the second leg, and we are already preparing for it.
– Considering the 0:0 draw in the first match, with what thoughts will you travel for the away second leg?
– For us, it makes no difference where we play. This was our first official match of the season, so the team is still lacking optimal match sharpness. To some extent, that explains the limited number of truly dangerous chances and our problems with converting them.
