Ukrainian coach Oleg Fedorchuk shared his thoughts on the two final matches of Kyiv’s Dynamo in the main stage of the Europa League — against Turkish Galatasaray (January 21, Istanbul) and Latvian RFS (January 30, Hamburg). Recall that the “white-blues” no longer have a chance to reach the playoff round of this European tournament.
Oleg Fedorchuk“I think it’s much wiser to use these matches as a platform for the future now. After all, from a practical point of view, it is advisable for Dynamo to focus as much as possible on the national championship. This is the Champions League, significant financial bonuses. This is a chance that may not come in the next five years, as we understand that Shakhtar will do everything to ensure that this current failure doesn't happen again.
Plus, we must not forget about the coach's career, as if Oleksandr Shovkovskyi does not take this opportunity, there will be questions regarding him. So I dare to assume that there will be psychological ease, there will be no tension regarding this game. Most likely, the setup will be as follows — whatever happens will happen, play for prestige, gain experience, and try to avoid injuries. And this may play to our advantage, as when the responsibility for the result does not weigh down, the team can perform better than usual.
At the same time, judging by the training camps, from how the team plays defensively, I have great pessimism regarding these matches — nothing has changed, there are significant questions regarding the defense, although in attack, both Buialskyi and Vanat are in good form. As for the defense — the players who were on trial are not stronger than those who are already there, they are of approximately the same level. Without strengthening the central defender position with at least one experienced player, it is hard to hope for a good result. We remember those same games against Rukh, against Inhulets, how the Kyiv defense was taken apart. A strong team can win 1:0, while not creating any chances near their own goal, like, for example, Inter or Dynamo in previous years.
So my prediction about Galatasaray is not very optimistic — I would like them to play 1:1, but I think that the Kyiv team will lose by a margin of one goal,” said Fedorchuk.
