The well-known Ukrainian coach and expert Oleg Fedorchuk shared his impressions of the first match of the playoff round of the Champions League between Dynamo Kyiv and Benfica Lisbon (0:2), which took place yesterday in Lodz, Poland.
Oleg Fedorchuk"I wouldn't say that the main problem of Dynamo was the absence of Sydorchuk"
‒ Was "Dynamo" doomed by the draw itself, or were they all equal at this stage?
‒ I think Benfica is currently in the top 25 European clubs. Therefore, she was probably the most difficult opponent of all possible, and therefore the draw was definitely not favorable for us.
‒ "Benfica" held two rounds of Primeira. An earlier start in the championship - the advantage of the Portuguese over "Dynamo"?
‒ An advantage, and a big one at that. On the contrary, it was our clubs in previous years that had such an advantage over their rivals, because in strong leagues the championships were held already in the middle of August, in some - at the beginning of September. And we played round two already in July.
Therefore, now Dynamo is doubly vulnerable: both because the opponents started playing in the championship earlier, and because we still had an easy half-year, which is not compensated by the previous four matches in two rounds, which were against Benfica.
‒ Absence of Sydorchuk is really such a big blow to Dynamo?
‒ I would not say that he is now the leading player of Dynamo and the national team, so from the point of view of quality, I would not say that this is a loss in terms of the game. But mentally, Sydorchuk is a loss that is difficult to compensate for. He is a captain not only by the armband, he is a player who is able to lead the team. Therefore, such a player was not found in Dynamo - neither Buyalskyi, Tsygankov, nor Shaparenko could take on the role of leader.
‒ But at the same time, "Dynamo" simply did not have a personnel supporter!
‒ At the same time, I would not say that the problems were precisely in the support zone. Both goals are the result of gross individual mistakes, deep they "came" from the flanks. This does not apply to the work that was done in the center of midfield. This is the problem of those guys who deviated from shots, passed back into the deficit, passively watched as the ball flew along the penalty area. That's where the goals that broke the game for Kyiv came from.
"Lucescu will have to focus on the Orphan"
‒ Okay, a goal from Benfica already in the 9th minute. 81 minutes to go, not including stoppage time. How could Dynamo turn the tide of this game?
‒ Only due to activity and pressure in front, and "Dynamo" just lacked the quality of the attack. Besedin which match in a row does not get into the team's tempo. Tsygankov plays with "flashes" - a sharp pass, a shot, and then you won't find him on the field for 15-20 minutes. Buyalskyi generally "opened up" - he is not a wing player, and Vitaliy cannot bring anything useful in a position where explosive speed and play are required.
Telling fact: we conceded first, but instead of stepping up, we continued to lose to our opponents not only in the quality of shots (into the goal area), but also in quantity. All this showed that "Dynamo" has big problems in the organization of the game.
‒ Was Benfica's second goal the result of just one bad pass, or was there more to it?
‒ Well, certainly, the pass back to Tsygankov was so careless that it cut off half the team. But the way "Benfica" scored showed that "Dynamo" lacks sufficient aggression and density in defense. Professional opponents certainly use this.
‒ "Dynamo" could have missed more. What is the reason that we did not hold the blow?
‒ Unfortunately, these five matches after a six-month forced layoff showed that two key positions - central defenders and central striker - were very problematic in Dynamo.
Besyedin previously compensated for his passivity in finishing with efficiency, now all his work is meaningless, because there is no support on the right and especially on the left, the won balls are stuck without aggravation, and Artem cannot finish the few, but existing sharp attacks due to incorrect positioning, opening.
But in the protection center we have system problems. If Zabarny still usually plays above the average level, then Popov simply "floats" under pressure. The moment with the unassigned penalty is an example: the referee did not point to the point, as if it had flown, but at that very moment Denys did not understand, lost to the opponent, acted incorrectly. So, there will be more such moments more than once. Lucescu will have to stop at Sirota, because this player is much more predictable in his decisions and, even where it is possible to make no mistake, he will not make a mistake.
So it turns out that we have big problems, and the bench is short and not of high quality, so Lucescu is crushed by this situation and cannot do anything in the highest level matches.
‒ But substitutions obviously revived the game...
‒ However, this is a difficult choice: if you release Karavaev from the first minutes, you lose the option of strengthening during the match. Having put Vanat, you lose in the plan of the fight ahead, this player is still fragile, more focused on trickery than on a strong solution. The same Vivcharenko is good in terms of speed and connections, but for defensive work it is better to rely on the slightly more experienced Dubinchak.
Also, while paying tribute to the really good substitutions that livened up Dynamo's game, we have to understand Benfica. She comfortably led the away team with two goals, gave a lot of effort. It is natural that she gave up the initiative somewhere - we should have attacked the headstrong, not him.
"Neres will not be judged by Dynamo
‒ Benfica and Dynamo are different planets. They are preparing a player who will be bought by Liverpool for record money, we do not know who to cover the position of the left midfielder and how to teach the forward to score at least once per match. Can you imagine a reality in which the match would not have ended with the defeat of Kyiv?
‒ I imagine, definitely. If we didn't have a war, which deprived Dynamo of game practice for six months and forced almost all legionnaires to leave, the confrontation would have been different. If, under normal circumstances, we had started the season earlier, we would have played 3-4 rounds since the end of July, and this would have been a few more percent in our favor. Finally, if "Dynamo" had played with "Benfica" as carefully in defense, the situation would have been different. We conceded an early goal, didn't find a chance to turn the game around, so it ended the way it did.
‒ David Neres started in "Benfica" from the first minutes. You can see why he could be a superstar in Shakhtar?
‒ It simply cannot be singled out. The game was so easy for Benfica that the winger had no way to prove himself without opposition. His participation in the second goal-scoring situation is important, but we understand that "Dynamo" played so carelessly there that it was simply a sin not to take advantage of it. In terms of highlights and goals, the hero of the guests is not Neres. This speaks volumes about his performance with Dynamo. Unfortunately for us, David will be judged on matches with a higher level of opposition.
‒ With the departure of Nunes, Yaremchuk remains the reserve forward. What to expect from him at Benfica?
‒ Undoubtedly, Roman is not a young, unformed player, but a fully mature and experienced professional. He needs to play regularly. So this segment is decisive for Yaremchuk - if by the end of the year he does not win a place in the base, he will have to think about his future. Coaches change, competitors change - if he had a shot at this team, he would have jumped at the chance.
And against Dynamo, obviously not a passable opponent, Roma played indistinctly. And this is a symptom.
"Dynamo" can reach the quarter-finals of the European Cup. On one condition..."
‒ Benfica 2021 and 2022 - which is stronger, judging by these two seasons of confrontations with Dynamo?
‒ Last year's Benfica is more powerful. The current one has its weaknesses, the coach is just starting to study it, it is clear that not all players are in optimal form and sufficiently integrated into the team's game. Undoubtedly, the absence of several characters at once, led by Darwin Nunes, plays a role.
‒ In that case, how much worse have we become if a weakened (or not completely rebooted) Benfica is driving us like this?
‒ Yes, both teams have become weaker. With the departure of foreigners, the variability in "Dynamo" has significantly decreased. De Pena, Verbych, Mykolenko are just those people who were missing.
‒ What should "Dynamo" do in the return match?
‒ If you score first in Lisbon, and also an early ball, then why not shake this "Benfica"? Now, Dynamo's big trump card is the abolished "away goal" rule. Thanks to this, the return match will not be a formality.
‒ "Dynamo" in the European Cups - an "accidental guest"?
‒ It is still too early for us to compete in the Champions League, but in other tournaments I would not bury Dynamo in any way. Moreover, if it is as rational as with Sturm and Fenerbahce to play in the same Europa League, it is possible to reach the quarterfinals.
Andriy Piskun
