Famous Ukrainian coach Yuriy Virt shared his impressions of the match of the 6th round of the group stage of the Europa League between the Spanish "Real Sociedad" and Kyiv "Dynamo" (3:0).
Yuriy Virt— You know, there is always a desire for better both in terms of gameplay and in terms of results. The reality today is that we lose to good European teams without any chances.
Honestly, I was surprised by the lineup, because it is unclear why the main players are not in the starting lineup. Whether they are preparing for "Veres" or something else is unclear. We see that the priority for "Dynamo" is now the Ukrainian championship, not the European cups. In the match against "Roma", and yesterday we saw that it was not an optimal lineup. Frankly, this is surprising.
Regarding the game, the first half was disappointing. Especially the defense, as there was quantity, but practically no quality. Whether you put five defenders or more — still, they need to work better in ball recovery, especially one-on-one.
There was a great advantage for the Spaniards, which is why the score is such. We should also thank "Real Sociedad" for just playing out this match. The second half was a mere formality.
— In "Dynamo" in the Europa League, there have repeatedly been situations when the team concedes goals over a span of 15-20 minutes and loses the game. In your opinion, what could be the reason for such failures?
— It is clear that pressure on the goal starts from the first minutes, and the team cannot withstand it. This has been the case in previous matches.
— In the first half, it was evident that the players of "Real Sociedad" were pressing intensively, and the "Dynamo" footballers couldn't keep up with them. Could this be a result of the lack of resistance from opponents in the UPL?
— And this too — you have accurately noted. This also plays an important role. In Ukraine, there are practically no teams that play against "Dynamo" as "Real Sociedad" did yesterday.
If we cannot work with the ball, if we see that we are being closed down, then something needed to change. I think the coaches understood this well, that there would be such high pressing and pressure from the first minutes. Then something in the game needed to be changed.
But we see that "Dynamo" is struggling to work at the back with the ball. There are many losses. It was even felt that Mykhavka was missing, who generally works very well with the ball.
— Was the first half against "Real Sociedad" the worst playing segment for "Dynamo" this season?
— One hundred percent. Let's take not the game, but the statistics. The difference [in shots] is 20 times — what are we talking about?
You know, it reminded me of the end of a championship game between a clear leader and an outsider, where neither team needed anything. I had the impression that Kyiv "Dynamo" needed nothing in this match. It was already a mere formality — to play out this match. Based on the first half, it felt that way.
— Who was the best player for "Dynamo" in this match?
— It was Heorhiy Bushchan — even though he conceded three goals. Indeed, he was the captain who tried to lead his partners, but it was difficult for him.
— "Dynamo" has lost its chances of reaching the Europa League playoffs, but in January will play two more matches — against "Galatasaray" and RFSh. Do you believe that the situation will change?
— I think that it will change. We need to dig deeper — there is a difference between "Dynamo" at the beginning of the season and now. I remember the matches against "Salzburg", where the team just ran for 90 minutes and pressed, played active football.
By the end of the year, we see that "Dynamo" no longer has those conditions. I hope that now there will be a short break, and they will rest and approach the matches in January in good functional shape.
I am confident that the team will slam the door and achieve victories, gain points, and confirm that it can play good football and earn points.
Anton Hreskiv
