In the third round of the main stage of the UEFA Europa League, Roma defeated Dynamo at home—1:0. Former striker of the national team of Ukraine Ivan Hetsko shared what prevented the participants from demonstrating a spectacular game:
— To be honest, I didn’t like yesterday’s match. Low speeds, few goal-scoring chances, and interesting plays. As they say in such cases, the football performed by Roma and Dynamo was sleep-inducing.
— Perhaps this is because key players were absent in the starting lineups, especially in Dynamo?
— It seems so. After all, the role of the legionnaire of the “city” team Dybala or our Shaparenko— is crucial.
— How would you explain such a choice by the coach of Kyiv, Oleksandr Shovkovskyi?
— For the Dynamo players, the match against Shakhtar in the Ukrainian championship on October 27 is now a priority. That’s why the coach put out an experimental lineup to preserve the strengths of the leaders and avoid injuries. In the event of a victory on Sunday, Kyiv will make a significant statement for the “gold.” And in the Europa League, it is still possible to catch up on the lost.
— Then, what do you think about the tactical scheme 3-5-2 in yesterday’s performance of the guests?
— Shovkovskyi is trying to bring order to the defense. Playing with three central defenders is one of the options. Yesterday again the guests' defense was not without flaws. As, ultimately, were the actions in attack.
— Indeed, it was a serious mistake by defender Taras Mykhavko that led to the penalty being awarded, which decided the outcome of the confrontation.
— I explain this by the instability of the young defender. He wants to play reliably, but his skill is not yet at the proper level. Hence the two own goals this season and the penalty conceded yesterday. This is a growing pain and it’s unfortunate that the team suffers because of it.
— On the other hand, Kyiv's defenders easily neutralized the attacking leader of the Romans Artem Dovbyk, who, had it not been for the converted penalty, was hardly noticeable on the field.
— Artem was one of the worst on the field, although it cannot be said that his partners did not play for him. But Dovbyk constantly found himself in the wrong place. This is characteristic of him in matches for the Ukrainian national team as well. Fortunately, at least he did not miss from the 11-meter mark.
— After the third consecutive defeat, does Dynamo still have a chance to advance to the next round of the Europa League?
— They still have a chance, but the situation is close to critical. In the next round, they must definitely defeat Ferencváros—a difficult opponent. An experimental lineup won't work here.
Dmytro Verbynskyi