Dynamo midfielder Oleksandr Pikhalonok spoke to Football Hub after the first leg of the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round against Greek side PAOK (2:3).
– It was an eventful game. The team scored early and then conceded shortly afterwards. In the end, it was a 2:3 defeat, but it’s only the first match. What was missing today?
– I think we lacked composure in defence because, you could say, we scored two goals against ourselves after our own mistakes. When you make those kinds of errors against a team like PAOK, they punish you immediately.
As for our attacking play, we had our chances, especially towards the end of the match when PAOK started to tire. With about twenty minutes to go, we could have scored and snatched a draw. We still have the second leg, so we’ll prepare for it.
– Before the match there were a lot of unpleasant chants from the visiting supporters. During the game they also displayed a banner that provoked our fans, forcing them to confront the situation. Maybe the players didn’t notice it during the match, but it was an unpleasant incident. Obviously, there could be even more provocations from the Greek side in the return leg. How do you prepare for that?
– There will definitely be provocations. They even provoked us today. We were already running towards their fans, but the PAOK players calmed us down. They understand that there is a war in our country. I asked them, “What are your supporters doing?” They even took out a Russian flag and showed it to our fans and to us. The PAOK players behaved properly, calmed us down and went over to their supporters. But I also think there will be a lot more of that in Greece.
– After the match, some of the players also spoke with our supporters, saying that this kind of behaviour cannot be forgiven. Does that make you even more fired up when you’re provoked?
– Of course, it fires you up even more. I hope that in the second match we’ll go out there and show our determination.
– By the 15th minute, the team had both scored and conceded. Did that change the game plan?
– In my opinion, if you’ve worked on something in training, both tactically and in every other aspect, there’s no need to change anything in the first 15 minutes, even if you score or concede. Later on – after the 30th minute or after the break – you can make adjustments. But not at the start of the game. Overall, I think we played well today, but we made mistakes and conceded avoidable goals.
