Dynamo Kyiv defender Denys Popov, who scored the winning goal against Kryvbas, shared his impressions of the game.
Denis Popov (photo: fcdynamo.com)- Denis, what are your impressions of the game and the victory? What did you manage to do today that you were satisfied with?
- First of all, the Kryvbas team is very good, very high quality. And they have a very good coach with quality players. It was not easy to play with them, but we are determined to win every game. I think we played well in defence, we set our goal to zero. So, of course, we succeeded in many things, had some good moments, and many things didn't. We will analyse and prepare for the next game.
- Vladyslav Dubinchak said that this goal was very important for you in terms of morale and confidence. How do you feel after scoring?
- Yes, it was a long-awaited goal. I always try to help the team. I am very glad that today I managed to do it, I always do my best and play for the team, so today it was the team that worked for the goal, not just me. I only had to put the ball into the net, and the whole team, from goalkeeper Neshcheret to striker Vanat, worked hard both in front and behind. Team spirit is the most important thing, and we need to keep it.
- How did you score that goal? How did you end up in that spot and what were you thinking at that moment?
- I wasn't thinking about anything. I just stayed on the standard. There was a good cross from Andrievsky and I sent the ball in and that was it. That's all, I managed to score.
- Oleksandr Shovkovskyi said that it was a playful combination...
- "Of course, we train both standards and the transition from defence to attack. So, of course, you need to be in the right place at the right time with a bit of luck. But 90% of it is what we practice.
- What did the coach say in the dressing room after the game? Did he have any comments or was he happy with everything?
- He congratulated us on the victory and that's all. And then we are preparing for the next game as usual. We have no reason to celebrate, so we need to prepare for the next game with a cool head, get our 3 points and move on.
- You missed some time. How are you feeling now? Is everything okay with you, or are you already in optimal condition?
- Yes, I feel fine. I recovered quickly, the coaching staff decided that I needed to take a break, so I was not playing for a while. Thank you for trusting me today, I will always give my all for this club, give everything I can. I will give as much as it takes.
- Today, Kryvbas started the game actively. Did their players create many problems for our defence?
- They have qualified players with a good coach, they know what to do on the football field. That's why it was not easy, but we played to the death. So we can say that we did 95% of our job in defence. The defence line and the whole team worked hard for the result. This adds to the positive emotions.
- The next match will be the first home match after three away games. Are you looking forward to returning to your home stadium?
- Yes, we will be preparing, because away games are never easy. It's much better to play at home. We will prepare as usual.
