The former head coach of Cherkasy LNZ Oleg Dulub shared his impressions of the central match of the 11th round of the Ukrainian championship Dynamo — Shakhtar (1:1).
Oleg Dulub— What aftertaste did the Classic leave behind?
— Only positive. The game kept us on edge until the end. The result could have swayed either way. The fact that it ended 1:1 is quite natural.
— Did Shovkovskiy’s decision to rest Dynamo's leaders in Rome justify itself?
— You can never predict with a very tight schedule. If we look at a specific game, the key players of Dynamo got rest, but Shovkovskiy himself after the game shared the adventures Dynamo faced on the way home, so it was clear that the team was not fresh. Mikhayko, Popov, Bilovar, who played against Roma, faced Shakhtar, which could have caused a muscle injury for Denys.
It was very hard to imagine that two young center-backs in the form of Bilovar and Mikhayko would start in the Classic, and let's not forget about Yarmolenko, whose mere presence impacts the game. Coupled with the travels, new player combinations, and Shakhtar's advantage of two extra days for recovery, all this played a part in Shakhtar's advantage in the first half.
That Dynamo lacked freshness is an undeniable fact. Over the last year, the Kyiv team has been playing dynamically, utilizing the speed qualities of its players, and speed requires a state of freshness.
— Did the two-day advantage for Shakhtar have a significant influence on the result?
— One of the key factors in Shakhtar's dominance was the sending-off of Kryskiv. Shaparenko's household injury significantly weakened Dynamo's midfield. Losing the anchor zone, imposing the playing system of both teams, favored the team that plays better in 1v1 situations. This was very evident in the first minutes, when Shakhtar was making approaches, and Zubkov hit the crossbar while Sudakov attempted a long-range shot. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Dynamo had never played with a combination of Brazhko, Andriyevskiy, and Buiatskiy before.
— Did the sending-off of Kryskiv not seem like the only option available to disrupt Dynamo's attack?
— Not at all. The game flipped 180 degrees after that. Remember the moment when the younger Pedrinho could see a red light for a foul against Dubinchak a few minutes later. This is not typical for him.
— Could the lack of experience on the sixth position from Kryskiv have made a difference?
— This position allows for ball recovery and opening up in the half-flank. Dmytro has quite decent ball recovery, vision of the field, and football intelligence. This is exactly what is required from a lower anchor in Shakhtar's playing system.
— Who impressed you the most in the squads of both teams?
— Brazhko, Dubinchak, Karavaev for the Dynamo players. For Shakhtar, it's worth mentioning Zubkov, Konoplya, and Bondarenko.
— What impact will the draw in the Classic have on the subsequent fight?
— As it is known, championships are won in the first 10 rounds and lost in the last 10. I don't think anyone else will be able to interfere in the fight. All the struggle is still ahead, and by the end of the championship, Dynamo and Shakhtar will settle everything among themselves in the second half.
This draw is beneficial for Dynamo, which didn't allow Shakhtar to close in on them. When I heard about the adventures Dynamo had coming back home from Italy, it became clear that Shovkovskiy's team is far from ideal physical condition. It reminded me of the match against LNZ (1:0) before the September break for international games. The team was exhausted from travels and with the help of team play, they earned 3 points.
— Don't you believe in Oleksandriya being able to compete with the giants?
— Oleksandriya has started to take points where they used to lose. However, the only problem in Rotan's team is a short bench, which could simply be insufficient if a successful selection does not take place in winter.
No matter how much the European cups exhaust Dynamo and Shakhtar, they gain invaluable experience for the struggle on the domestic front in terms of gameplay.
If we take the figures from Transfermarkt, Shakhtar is worth twice as much as Dynamo. This indicates that the team has gathered quality footballers who need time to develop connections and gain the audacity to decide the outcomes of matches.
When you have such experience from international games, where many ideas are involved, this gives a huge advantage. That’s why everyone is so eager to get into the European cups.
Oleksandr Karpenko
