Former head coach of Metalurg, Metalist and Karpaty Oleksandr Sevidov shared his thoughts on the second leg of the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League between Rangers and Dynamo, which ended in a 2-0 victory for Kyiv.
- We can state that this is a well-deserved victory for Dynamo. I would note the team's very good physical condition. In this component, Shovkovskyi's men showed a decent level in three matches: two against Partizan, in the league against Veres, and against Rangers. Dynamo play at high speeds until the last minutes, almost never stopping. Plus, the team is relaxed, and it's a pleasure to watch such a game. Compared to previous seasons, the team is "running" and enjoying their game.
- Who was the most pleasantly surprised in this match?
- Definitely Mykhavko. If in the first game he made a few mistakes and had a little jitters, now he played well. In addition to winning a lot of fights, it is clear that he has a good first pass, did not get discouraged, tried to play the game. In short, he has the potential to grow into a great player. Karavaev, Kabaev, Shaparenko looked good.
- Are there any players who have dropped out of the game?
- Forward Vanat is still struggling to get into the game. He does not have time for shots, somewhere he is one step behind the events on the field. So far, this is the team's weakest link. I think Vanat will gain the necessary conditioning and will help the team again and again.
- Against such a strong team as Rangers, Dynamo showed its strengths, didn't it?
- Yes, we can agree that Rangers is a good team. This is not a gray team, as one former Dynamo player who lost a period in the Scottish championship said. They let you play, they open up for the ball, maybe there was not such a tightness between the lines, which Kyiv took advantage of. "Dynamo simply exhausted the opponent, moving the ball quickly, and the Scots had to spend a lot of energy on selection, moreover, playing in the minority. One player was missing in the defense to cover the zones.
- And then, when the opponent was physically tired, Shovkovsky made what turned out to be a successful substitution
- This is a coach's flair and vision of the game. Pikhalonok and Voloshin, who came on and scored the decisive goals, added even more to the team's speed, and the Scots fell apart. Now Shovkovsky has a nice headache. Buyalsky, Shaparenko and Pikhalenok are all players of the same plan, but only two can play. In the first match, Pikhalonok started and Buyalsky came on as a substitute, while in Glasgow it was the other way around. It's good when you have a full-fledged substitute and can vary the lineup. The right substitution gave the result.
- The removal in the 50th minute decided a lot. As it turned out, it was the turning point of the match. Do you agree?
- We can say that we were lucky with the referee. Fortune and the femme favored us. There was loyal refereeing. "It's not Dynamo's fault that the player was sent off. They took their chance and gained an advantage. We can guess how the game would have ended if not for the sending off... But again, Kyiv played great, showed an attractive game, and deservedly won. A lot was decided by clear and well-organized team actions, where everyone knows their maneuver, where to run and open up in time for the pass. I would also like to note that Dynamo was very good at getting out from under pressure in this game. That's how the second goal was scored. A breakaway from the defense, a perfect long pass from Brazhko to Voloshyn, who was running behind the defenders, Shaparenko's opening and a goal-scoring assist to Voloshyn, who put the final point. Everything was done in time and in a great way. It was a pleasure to watch. So congratulations to Dynamo on the victory! We are waiting for the same game and result with Salzburg.
Serhii Shebek