Dnipro-1 SC midfielder Oleksandr Pikhalyonok commented on the results of the winning match against Rukh Lviv (3:2).
Oleksandr Pykhalyonok (photo: scdnipro1.com.ua)— Oleksandr, you became not only a participant in this match, but you were directly involved in the decisive substitution in the game when you left the field for Serhii Loginov. Were you surprised when Sergey was released instead of you?
- Maybe a little, but it was the right substitution because there were a lot of passes from the wings and we didn't have enough people in the penalty area. And, as you can see, it brought us victory, which means everything was done correctly.
— Today, the match turned out to be very emotional, right from the first minutes. Did you expect such heat?
— Yes, we expected, because with "Rukh" such matches always come out. From the first minute, we all knew that it would be a very difficult match.
— The team has played the last two matches, albeit against dissimilar opponents, but is forced to overcome a very saturated defense. What difficulties arise in connection with this, and what made it possible to win both games in the last minutes?
— With Vaduz, the game was a little different - they had a lot of chances there, and we used ours. Today it was the other way around - we created the chances, we didn't score, but the opponent used their chances. But we fought until the last minute and, Thank God, we won this game and got three points.
— In the coming week, you can concentrate on the championship, because there is a pause in the European Cups. How does it feel to be in first place?
— We feel very good (smiles), but the game with Ingulets is in two days, and we need to recover and play to win again. Although, again, we expect a very difficult game.
— Do you feel that the opponents of Dnipro-1 now have a different attitude than at the beginning of the championship?
- Yes of course. It can be said that with each round, the opponents are more and more analyzing us and are adjusting differently. We, in turn, would like to thank the Armed Forces for everything they do. For the fact that they are liberating our country from these orcs who are terrorizing Ukraine, so thank you very much to the Armed Forces.
