Former Kyiv “Dynamo” footballer Alexander Shcherbakov spoke about his expectations for his former team’s match against Turkish “Galatasaray” in the 7th round of the main stage of the Europa League, which will take place today in Istanbul.
Alexander Shcherbakov— “Dynamo” has always played successfully against Turkish clubs, so let’s hope that this time the result will be positive, — he said. — I want to believe that the Kyiv team will manage to achieve victory in Istanbul.
— What do you think, how will Dynamo build their game against “Galatasaray”?
— It’s hard to say. I think the Kyiv team will start from defense. I don’t rule out that our footballers will apply tackles in the central part of the field, and possibly start pressuring the opponent. However, for this, it’s necessary to know the condition of the team and whether it will be enough for this goal. In my opinion, it's necessary to try to find the weak spots in the Turkish game's performance, after which they should play their own game without adapting to the opponent.
— Many expected that this winter “Dynamo” would strengthen the squad with qualified players — in particular, in the defensive line. However, this did not happen. Do you think this circumstance will play a nasty trick with the Dynamo players in the next Europa League match?
— If “Dynamo” has certain problems in defense, one should not forget the presence of a good goalkeeper in the squad. Also, the concept of team play has not been canceled. After all, it’s not only defenders who recover the ball, but also attacking players. Let’s hope that in the Istanbul match, everyone will work well in defense. I hope “Dynamo” can achieve the maximum result in this game.
As for acquiring new footballers, one always wants to have qualified players in the squad. However, today’s “Dynamo” is a rather strong team, and it is capable of delivering surprises away.
— What can you say about Turkish football as a whole?
— All players from southern and eastern teams are technical, with high individual skills. Almost every Turkish club currently has legionnaires from Europe. And it should also be mentioned about the atmosphere in the stadium in Istanbul, where the local fans support their favorites very passionately. And that means a lot.
Vyacheslav Kulchytsky
