Former Dynamo Kyiv coach Jozsef Szabo shared his impressions of his former team's 2-0 win over Scottish side Rangers in the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League, which took place yesterday in Glasgow.
Jozef Szabo- "Dynamo played very well, I liked it, " said Sabo. " Yes, in the first half, with equal football, Rangers had more possession, and we did without scoring chances, but that's how Shovkovsky built the game - it's his vision.
- What changed after the break?
- The game was affected by the removal of a Rangers player. After that, the initiative was completely taken over by Kyiv, and we must pay tribute to our team, which skillfully took advantage of it. It is important that Dynamo did not run forward adventurously, but calmly deprived the Scots of the ball at first, and then increased the pressure on the opponent's goal every minute.
- However, the need for substitutions in Dynamo was obvious, especially for Yarmolenko, who was tired and dropped out of team actions...
- Yes, and Shovkovskyi did it. Everything happened very timely, for which Dynamo's head coach should be especially noted. Voloshyn added mobility up front, but Pikhalonok's entry was a perfect move! In my opinion, Pikhalonok is a higher class than Buyalsky. They play in the same position, but in the future we need to trust Pikhalonok more, who has a great left foot - he can pass and hit the ball with skill.
As for Yarmolenko, we need to understand Shovkovskyi, who cannot stop putting Andriy in the starting lineup for now. This is simple respect for an honored footballer. Although, it was clear that a difficult match was expected away. I should note that I was surprised by Rangers. This is not the same team as it used to be... Its players cannot beat the opponent one-on-one, they do not have the necessary speed. In general, Rangers are now a mediocre team.
- One performer still stood out - Cerny, who scored an assist in the first match, and who strained Dynamo's defense the most during 45 minutes of the game in Glasgow
- He stood out, but he acted rather monotonously. Over time, the Dynamo players adapted to his shedding from the flank and his attempts to break into the penalty area by dribbling. At the end of the match, Cerny and other Rangers players tried to literally push our defense, earn a foul or even a penalty, but Dynamo did well - they withstood everything.
- How did you like the refereeing?
- The Italian referee officiated well. At the time when I played, one could only dream of such refereeing. Now the referees are acting responsibly, equally towards both teams, you can feel their high professionalism. I'll repeat, earlier in Europe we were judged differently... And in the USSR championship, any away game in terms of arbitration was a real test.
- What can be improved in Dynamo's actions for the next round of the Champions League qualifiers?
- I think that personnel decisions will be in the foreground. "Salzburg is a more serious opponent than Rangers. Therefore, we need to clearly define Yarmolenko's role. He can be used as a reinforcement - from the bench, for 15-20 minutes, depending, of course, on the scoreboard.
The same applies to Buyalsky. I have never considered him to be some kind of extraordinary performer, otherwise there would already be a line of buyers for him... Pikhalenok should start in the starting lineup. Everything else will be determined by Shovkovsky in preparation for the confrontation with Salzburg, he should be trusted.
Oleg Semenchenko
