Former Ukraine midfielder Oleg Shelayev shared his impressions of the first match of the 1/16 Conference League Final between Cyprus AEK and Dnipro 1 (1-0), which took place yesterday in Larnaca.
Oleg Shelayev- Dnipro, unlike Shakhtar, failed to approach this stage in as good a condition. Only some Dnipro 1 players showed a quality game, and then only in moments. It is hard to say whether it was the peculiarities of preparation or the mood for the game. AEK had an advantage - both in general, and in moments at Dnipro`s goal.
- Why was Dovbik unable to prove his worth?
- There were no assists behind defenders, and Artem had to receive the ball with his back to goal. Dovbik, of course, tried hard, won a lot of air duels, made a great pass to Pikhalenok when he had a chance to score, but we want more from Artem. At the same time another performer of Dnipro 1 - Gutsulyak, who played with dedication and sharpness.
- What was your impression of Dnipro's newcomers, in particular, the Brazilians Heiner and Peglou?
- They are very mobile, good with the ball, fast and creative.
- Dnipro-1's defence held out for a long time, but allowed the opponents to score in the closing stages of the match. What didn`t Dnipro team do well?
- I think that AEK persistently implemented the plan for this game. The Cypriots realised that the visitors were dominant in terms of anthropometry, hence the reliance on standards - crosses from free kicks and corners. Just remember how difficult it was for Dnipro at the beginning of the match. In the goal episode, respectively, it was the same, and Babenko did not fully finish his game with the opponent, and, I think, we could have counted on the goalkeeper's help.
- What can Dnipro 1 count on now in their encounter with AEK, and what can they improve in Kucher`s team`s game?
- This score allows us to count on a success in the standings. 0:1 is not 0:3... It's not the score, but Dnipro's game that worries. We must show better football to advance to the next round of the Conference League. We won't be able to improve our physics in a week. Therefore, we will have to put more pressure, keep the ball mostly in the opponent's half, put pressure all the time and keep a high intensity of the game, not allowing many older players of AEK to come to their senses. If we can do it all, we will have a chance, because the 0-1 score is not a verdict yet.
Oleg Semenchenko
