Former Dynamo player and coach Oleksandr Hatskevych summarized the results of Kyiv's return match against Salzburg (1-1) in the final round of the Champions League qualifiers.
Oleksandr Hatskevych. Photo: Getty Images- Alexander Nikolayevich, what would you say about yesterday's game?
- It was a good game without all these build-ups. You can see that the two teams know how to play offense without the center of the field. The first half was great. Dynamo started the game, but unfortunately, the first chance at our goal ended in a goal. In the second half, the start was somewhat difficult, but the most important thing is that now Dynamo has an understanding of what kind of football the guys want to play. This is the merit of both the players and the coaching staff.
- Dynamo started the match aggressively, with high pressure, but Salzburg's first escape from the pressure ended in a goal in our goal. Who is to blame for this?
- There was a lot of pressure from Dynamo, and when we lost the ball, we made a number of mistakes. The central midfielders did not work hard enough, but I should also note the individual skill of the young Salzburg player Dahim, who took over the game, moved well into the center and scored successfully.
- A few words about Dynamo's goal.
- Many teams in Europe play vertical football today. "Dynamo and Salzburg showed yesterday that these build-ups lead to nothing. Mikhavko brought Vanat to the final shot with one pass, and Vlad made a great Ozil-style finish. Technically, everything was very good - both the first pass and the finish.
- What kind of trouble did Dynamo have with corners? Kyiv served 16 (!) corners, but none of them led to danger at the opponent's goal.
- This is the component Dynamo needs to work on. This is a reserve that can still be squeezed out and score goals.
- If we take the two-match confrontation, what did Dynamo lack to move on? Salzburg did not seem to be an impenetrable opponent.
- There is no such thing as an "impenetrable" in football. "Dynamo lacked realization in the first game and Buyalsky. Pikhalenok is a good footballer, but what works in the UPL doesn't always work in European competitions. Yes, he is aiming for a shot, but he does not yet have the same interaction with Shaparenko and Vanat as Buyalsky. With Pikhalenko, Dynamo plays a 4-1-4-1 formation, while with Buyalsky it's 4-2-3-1. Buyalsky is the link between the lines. Pikhalonok is still looking for himself at Dynamo.
- Who would you call the best player, the "lion of the match" of Salzburg vs Dynamo?
- I liked Mykhavko, so I'll call him the "man of the match". He is a new investment of Dynamo, just like Zabarnyi was in his time. Judging by the two games with Salzburg, Mykhavko is skilled beyond his years.
He has a great vision of the field, understanding of the game and intelligence. Popov is a good footballer, but today defenders who not only fulfill their direct duties but can also make the first pass are valued. Therefore, we need to think about who to pair with Mykhavko. We haven't seen Seballos yet.
- Can Mikhavko repeat the path of Zabarnyi?
- He has everything for that: a good left foot, ability to play up top, speed, and most importantly, intelligence.
- Why do you think Seballos is not playing? Why was it necessary to sign him at all if the legionnaire is sitting in the reserves?
- Let's respect the decision of Dynamo's coaching staff. The strongest players play in such matches. I think we will see Seballos again. I heard that he is a good footballer: fast and with a good first pass.
- Yarmolenko received a lot of criticism after the first match against Salzburg. Experts and fans said that Andriy was no longer up to the task, had lost his speed and other qualities. What do you think of him?
- In the first match, Andriy missed three chances, and before that he would have scored two out of three. But if we take yesterday's game, then with Yarmolenko's departure, there was practically no sharpness on the left flank. Yes, Andriy has lost some functions, speed and he is not enough for the full 90 minutes, but he showed that he is useful for the team.
- Vanat played well yesterday, scored a goal, but in previous matches he resembled only a pale copy of himself last season. Is Vanat Dynamo's level for European competitions?
- Vanat is having a hard time getting into the season, but he has his moments, including the first match against Salzburg. I know that he and Brazko were not in the best condition because of a cold, so the guys looked so pale. We know the best versions of Vanat and Brazhko, but the illness made itself felt. Unfortunately, today Dynamo does not have an equivalent replacement for these young players.
- A few words about Dynamo's main asset, Shaparenko. Does he already need to be sold to a club in the top championship?
- You say "need to sell", but for this we need to get offers. Yesterday against Salzburg, Kolya played somewhat fragmentarily, but after he was shaken up in a tackle at the beginning of the second half and probably woke up by this, Shaparenko began to resemble his former self, who can be sold.
- Kabayev has been called up to the Ukrainian national team for the Nations League. Will he be able to push Mudryk out of the squad, given that Mykhailo is not doing well at Chelsea?
- Kabayev was called up to compete with Mudryk so that Mikhail could understand that there are no irreplaceable players. Vlad rightly deserved the call-up with his stable play for Dynamo. Now let Mudryk or Serhiy Stanislavovych [Rebrov] think about who should play in the Nations League.
- What do you expect from Dynamo in the Europa League?
- I've said it before: "Every team should play in its own tournament". This year, Dynamo gave hope that they were ready to be competitive in the Champions League, but after two matches, Salzburg proved to be stronger. Given that last year Dynamo did not reach the group stage of European competitions at all, we will probably play in our own tournament, where we will impose competition, although the Europa League is also a strong tournament.
Yes, Dynamo has lost financially, but the European market is open. Players can prove themselves in the Europa League as well. In the Champions League, it would probably be more difficult to do so. The matches will show everything. We need to move forward only. I am very pleased that Dynamo are making progress.
- In the last matches under Lucescu, Dynamo did not please the fans with a bright performance. Tell me honestly, do you enjoy watching Kyiv's matches now?
- Today it is nice to watch a team that plays forward, vertically, aggressively. I am glad that Bushchan is not the main playmaker of Dynamo now, as it was under Lucescu.
Andrii Piskun
