Dynamo Kyiv head coach Ihor Kostiuk answered journalists’ questions after the first leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round against Azerbaijani side Qarabag, which ended in a 1:0 victory for the White-Blues.
– In your opinion, what was the key to Dynamo’s victory today?
– Thanks to our character, thanks to the fact that there was a real team on the pitch today. That is exactly what brought us the result.
– Today the team played in an organized manner. At the pre-match press conference you said that certain conclusions had been drawn. Was it more of a psychological factor or a tactical adjustment? Or did everything work together?
– Valeriy Lobanovskyi used to say that it takes about two years to build a team. I’m not talking about myself now, but about a well-known principle. Many players have returned to us from loan spells, and we are looking for new connections, new combinations, and working on different game options.
Today, as you saw, we made a small rotation, and the game plan we had prepared worked. Through our substitutions, we wanted to strengthen the team’s play and improve its quality. We created chances, played well through the opposition’s press after winning the ball back, reorganized successfully after losing possession, and applied counter-pressing. We could have scored more, but unfortunately we failed to convert our chances.
– In just three days you will begin the new Ukrainian championship with a match against Veres. Will the game in Rivne help you prepare better for the return leg against Qarabag in Baku, or would it have been better to postpone it?
– We have a sufficiently deep squad, and this match will give the team more confidence and a better understanding of what it takes to achieve results. Today the players went through a very demanding match, but at the same time they must understand what the right attitude toward the game should be and what it takes to win. That is a positive point. I think we will continue to improve and achieve victories.
