Oleksandr Sevidov: «Roma» did not surprise at all. Dovbyk was not visible»

The well-known former coach and now football expert Oleksandr Sevidov shared his thoughts on the match of the 3rd round of the Europa League «Roma» — «Dynamo», which ended in a defeat for the Kyiv team with a score of 0:1.

Oleksandr Sevidov

— For the sake of the Ukrainian championship match against «Shakhtar», Dynamo’s coach Shovkovskyi sacrificed the game against «Roma», which they lost. Is such a step justified?

— Whether it is justified or not, we will see on Sunday. In the same situation is «Roma», which also plays in the championship against «Fiorentina» in two days, and the head coach Yuriy did not field some key players. This is Shovkovskyi’s choice, and it was probably a well-thought-out decision — to field the reserves. Analyzing this game is extremely difficult. There was one moment for Tymchyk in the first half, and a questionable chance to score for Guerrero. That’s all for the whole game. One can say that these two moments were created spontaneously. To be honest, I did not like the football. It was slow, lacking aggression. «Roma» did not surprise at all. Dovbyk was almost invisible up front, he occasionally clung to the ball, tried to open up correctly, but without sharpness. It is difficult to assess «Dynamo», as the major players were not on the field, and they showed nothing. The only thing is that Shovkovskyi changed the formation, playing with three central defenders, saturating the midfield, thereby not allowing the opponent to create goal-scoring chances. Overall, the hosts created very little.

— Only at the end of the match did Shammuradov have a decisive moment to increase the score. In such cases, is there only one question for the goalkeeper: which corner is it possible to score in?

— It was already at the end, when the «Dynamo» players began to open up, playing with the mindset that it does not matter which they lose by — 0:1 or 0:2. The game in Rome was akin to Shakhtar’s game in London against «Arsenal». The English, after scoring, began to play carelessly, without putting in effort, and we saw that with «Roma». The football was not very spectacular. You can still understand «Dynamo», as they played with a half-reserve squad, but the hosts, almost in front of a full stadium, showed a primitive performance. This is not the best level for teams in the Europa League. It means both teams placed their stakes on their domestic championships. Unconvincing play from both sides.

— A conceded goal from a penalty. Mikhavk's actions were incomprehensible. Why was it necessary to bring a penalty on yourself? The attack was not dangerous, as the opponent, entering the penalty area, would run into two «Dynamo» players, having no room to maneuver.

— This all comes from youth and inexperience. He played a position, did not think, grabbed the opponent by the shirt, and it was a penalty. I have said many times — we defend not with skill, but with number, which, unfortunately, does not translate into quality.

— With such a dull «Roma», was it possible to expect a positive result?

— Perhaps. There are some options. «Roma» probably studied «Dynamo», could prepare for the opponent seriously and win by a bigger score. Maybe there was an underestimation when they saw the weakened squad of Kyiv, and during the game, they could not adjust.

— Who can be highlighted in the «Dynamo» squad?

— Based on the first half — Guerrero. He had a moment to score and made a great pass to Tymchyk. He fought for the ball, engaging the defenders. He may not be a top striker, but for «Dynamo», this is a good acquisition.

Serhiy Shebek