Igor Kostyuk: «We were better than Maribor»

Senior coach of «Dynamo U-19» Igor Kostyuk commented on the first match against «Maribor» (1:1) in the UEFA Youth League.

— You saw that the guys gave a lot of effort in this game. We dominated, but didn’t convert our chances. At the same time, we made a defensive mistake, held the ball too long while exiting the press, which led to conceding a goal from the opponent’s only shot in both halves. At the same time, our team showed a very meaningful and quality game that should have resulted in our victory.

— «Dynamo» created many chances, but the finishing was weak. What is the reason for that?

— As I told the guys, the ball didn’t go into the net, but we needed to score. Especially in the first half, when we pressed, played actively, and created many chances, but couldn’t convert them.

— At the start of the match, the opponent was very nervous and made mistakes, partially due to Dynamo's high pressing. But then they calmed down and began to act more decisively. Can we say they adapted to our team’s style of play?

— They chose a tactic of playing «second fiddle» and simplified the game as much as possible. The opponent used ordinary long passes with the aim of getting a foothold on the ball ahead. But our defenders played well and neutralized all those long passes. We must give credit to «Maribor» — they are a well-organized team with quality players. They are tough in battle, but we were better in this game; we just lacked the conversion of chances.

— As the senior coach of «Dynamo U-19», you have never faced defeats in the main time of UEFA Youth League playoff matches. Now this streak has continued…

— We don’t focus on such statistics; we look at the development of players. Today was an emotional game for them; during the break, I asked them to calm down. Such emotions do not allow us to convert the chances we create with a cool head. Such matches are a great experience for our players.

— Ahead is a match against «Shakhtar», then «Inhulets», followed by the return match with «Maribor». How do you properly manage your resources?

— We will prepare for all matches in a planned mode. Now we are returning to Kyiv and starting preparations for the match against «Shakhtar». Step by step, match by match, we will prepare for the next opponent.