Oleg Fedorchuk: "Dynamo's play in the second leg against Sturm will be very cautious and nervous"

The well-known Ukrainian coach and expert Oleg Fedorchuk told what he expects from the return match of the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League between the Austrian Sturm and Dynamo Kyiv, which will take place today in Graz. Recall that the first meeting of the teams ended with the victory of the people of Kiev with a score of 1:0.

- I think that in the second leg the result of the first meeting will even tie Dynamo somewhere. After all, if a draw against Fenerbahce did not give Dynamo anything, then here it is in favor of our team. Hence, I assume that in the debut of the game, Dynamo will act cautiously and try to play on the counterattacks. This, in turn, will allow Lucescu to maneuver tactically.

If we talk about the problems of Dynamo, then the defense is not playing very reliably now. The most prominent figure among the Kyivans in the three European Cup matches played was the goalkeeper Buschan, who made about 20 saves in all these games. This suggests that about 5-6 real scoring chances are created at the gates of Kiev in each match. Therefore, Dynamo's game will be very cautious and nervous.

Also, as a fan, I can't help but worry about the attack group. Dynamo scores too little, and the goals scored are mainly the result of passes by the full-backs. Kendzera, Vivcharenko, Dubinchak are the players who created goals in the previous three games. This factor indicates that the problem of the central striker is very acute for Dynamo. I think that Lucescu simply counted on Besedin, and various options were played. Over-dependence on Besedin is now shackling the team, since Artyom can’t take shape in any way.

- "Sturm" showed its strong quality to act in a coordinated and disciplined manner, thereby somewhere compensating for the lack of individually strong stars. In the return game, there will also be support from their stands. How dangerous is it if the people of Kiev with the indicated problems in the attack under pressure from the stands concede first? Are there any problems with the conditional plan "B"? Is there a plus in the fact that the stands can put pressure on the home team?

- I think that for Dynamo the scenario will be similar to the first match - it is important to survive the first 20-25 minutes. If we hold out, then Sturm will have to increase momentum and play as the first number, which is very convenient for Dynamo. Since Sturm, as can be seen from the matches, feels uncomfortable if he is forced to play the first number, because the team aims to play on defense, this is its style, capabilities, it runs out better than it attacks. And experienced teams always impose an awkward game on the opponent.

Also, a lot will depend on whether Gypsies can take part in the game. Nevertheless, when the team plays as the second number, the role of this player is quite high.

- In the first match, Tsygankov could not take part, and Karavaev, who replaced him, became the author of a single goal.

— The presence of Tsygankov allows you to vary tactics. No matter how critical we are about his injuries, he is still a very high level player in terms of using chances. In the same team, he repeatedly played successfully on the rotation, went out and made a result thanks to his speed.

At the same time, Karavaev is now gradually becoming one of the significant players, without whom it is very difficult to do. And not only in Dynamo, but also in the Ukrainian national team. He is able to play in different positions and - most importantly - he is now in a very good psychological shape.

- How worried is Dynamo's center of defense, especially considering that there were many complaints against Popov?

- Worried. And if we talk about Popov, it is strange to observe: a football player who is no longer a debutant and for whom it seemed to all of us that he had a completely healthy psyche, in the same youth team he had super confidence. Here we see his constant nervousness.

The number of fouls that Popov commits is a clear indicator of this nervousness. Penalties, yellow cards, irrational actions under pressure. He now looks like a deputy who constantly wants to prove to the coach that he wants to play. It seems that there is only one chance in this game, there will be no other. As a result, he constantly makes mistakes, making completely unjustified decisions, there are a lot of effective mistakes. At the same time, Lucescu is quite loyal to him, much more than other defense players.

The opposite example is Zabarny, which clearly shows positive dynamics. He is gradually becoming a key defensive player, not only in the club, but also in the national team. Dubinchak, Vivcharenko and, as I said, Bushchan are also very pleased.

- Forecast for the game?

- I see the final draw, which will be in favor of Dynamo. Kyivites don’t have psychological swings now, the team feels quite confident, we remember the pressure on the players in Turkey. However, the team persevered. And yet, I see a draw as the final result of the return match, yet none of the teams have particularly strong trump cards now.

Evgeny Savchuk