Former Shakhtar defender Oleksandr Kucher shared his expectations for Dynamo in the final match of the Europa League against RFSh.
Oleksandr Kucher— I want Dynamo to win. This is the last game, and I think the opponent is not stronger than Kyiv. The team of Shovkovsky can earn three points, which we really need in the coefficient table. There’s no pressure on Dynamo anymore, so they need to win and gain confidence before the Ukrainian championship.
— Does Dynamo have to win against this opponent?
— Of course, yes, they need to make a loud statement. But we understand that this game does not decide anything anymore. Perhaps Shovkovsky will give a chance to the young players to see who can be counted on. It depends on the coach. When the game has no tournament significance, you can experiment. But I don’t think anything like that will happen, because Dynamo hasn't won in a long time, and the team needs a victory.
— Don’t you think that the comeback in the match against Galatasaray exhausted Dynamo’s players?
— No, I think, on the contrary, it charged them. At that time, Shovkovsky made very good substitutions — Pikhalyonok and Yarmolenko came on. Andriy held the ball where needed, scored two goals, and helped in defense. That day was fabulous. If they had won as well, it would have been wonderful.
— Then RFSh defeated Ajax. How can Dynamo avoid stepping on the same rake?
— You cannot underestimate the opponent. But I don’t think this will remain an issue because, as I said before, Dynamo only needs a victory. The Kyiv team wants to earn it in the Europa League.
— Will this victory leave a good aftertaste of the Europa League for Dynamo?
— It will rather add confidence. Then the Kyiv team will prepare for the second part of the UPL in a good mood.
— Does Yarmolenko deserve to start?
— It depends on the coach’s decision. But I think he can start from the first minutes since he had an injury. If he scores two goals after coming off the bench, he should continue to come out and score. The team always needs a joker.
Andriy Pavlechko
