Dynamo midfielder Oleksandr Pikhaliotok shared his expectations for the upcoming away match of the Europa League qualification play-off round against the Israeli Maccabi (Tel Aviv) during the pre-match press conference.
— What is the team’s mood after arriving in Serbia for the match? You are playing two games a week and have a lot of travel, so how are the players in terms of physical and psychological condition?
— Right now, we feel psychologically better, as we have somewhat recovered from the match against Paphos because we played a championship game against Epicenter. We are preparing for a very difficult game against Maccabi tomorrow. It is very important to win tomorrow’s match and the next one to advance to the main stage of the Europa League.
— Have you watched your opponent’s previous matches? When did you start monitoring them and studying their game? What is your opinion about Maccabi?
— I watched their two matches against Paphos. They are a very technical team with speedy players. In my opinion, they are no worse than Paphos. As I said before, I believe we are in for two very difficult matches against them.
— Last year in the Champions League qualification, you scored a fantastic goal against Rangers. Should we expect you to be impactful in the decisive qualification matches this time?
— I am focused, so expect it (smiles).