Tomorrow, on August 23, the Champions League play-off return match between Dynamo Kyiv and Benfica Lisbon will take place (first game — 0:2). On Monday in Lisbon, the head coach of the Ukrainian team Mircea Lucescu gave a pre-match press conference.
Mircea Lucescu— How did you prepare for tomorrow's game after losing the first match? What is the probability that you will win tomorrow and what danger do you expect from the hosts?
— The question is not about the players, but about the team. Benfica plays good football, in an organized manner, with good combinations. Your team has played many matches in the Champions League qualification and in the domestic championship. Our opponent is in a good position, and I cannot say who is better. All the players are experienced and of a high international level - Gilberto, Joao Mario, Grimaldo - they have high potential. Rafa Silva is perhaps the best, and it is a surprise to me that during all this time he is in Lisbon, because he could play in a big club in another country.
— Dynamo must score three goals to advance, how do you plan to do it, and what do you expect from Benfica tomorrow?
- Not three, but two goals and playing extra-times, as we are used to playing the last two away matches in the Champions League. At the moment, the Lisbon team is much better prepared than we are. We will try to show a good game on the eve of the start of the Ukrainian championship. We'll see what happens. I am sure that tomorrow there will be a great atmosphere in the stands, many fans will come. Benfica is the best team in Portugal and will play at the highest level. And we have very young players, and we were not able to make transfers, the players do not see their families for more than two months, because they live far from them.
It will not be easy for us, but we will try to forget all non-football circumstances and focus only on the game. I hope we will show a good game tomorrow.
— What will be the role of Sidorchuk in the next game?
- It is very important for us, because in the first match we conceded two goals from the zone where Sidorchuk is usually located - I talked about this after the game. But we also miss two more players - Tsygankov, who will not be able to play tomorrow due to the injury he received in the first match, as well as Popov, who is also injured. In such a situation, we will try to prove ourselves very well.
