Midfielder of Kyiv's Dynamo Vladislav Kabayev commented on the team's defeat to Paphos in the first match of the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League on FootballHub.
Vladislav Kabayev. Photo: fcdynamo.com
— "Dynamo" didn't start the match very well. It seemed that the team didn't expect such aggression from the opponent.
— Perhaps we didn't start as we wanted. But we are playing against qualified footballers, not some backyard team. They have good players too. We didn't start the game well, but then there were moments, half-moments, we shot well, transitioning from defense to attack.
We lacked a goal. And we conceded from a counterattack after our own set piece. It's hard to talk about emotions right now, but we will analyze this game. We go into the match like... the opponent looks angrier, more aggressive. They block, the referee allows more play. We need to work on this and be smarter, more unpleasant for the opponent.
— What surprised you in Paphos’ performance?
— I wouldn't say that they surprised us. We watched their matches: they have fast wings, defenders play roughly. There was little constructive football, more fighting and chaos. Their audacity played to their advantage. Personally, I want to be stronger, smarter, more aggressive in such moments.
— What chances do you see for "Dynamo" in the return match?
— We are athletes and we go into every game to win. It’s 0:1. There’s nothing to worry about. We had many moments, we could have scored. It will be a fun game on our part, more quality. There is room for improvement. Yes, it’s unpleasant, but I hope we’ll go to Cyprus with positive emotions.
— Will the heat currently prevailing in Cyprus affect the game?
— It may play a role, or maybe not. I don't want to look for external factors right now. Let’s focus on ourselves and be self-critical. Everything will depend on us, not on the weather, the ball, or anything else.
