Former Kyiv 'Dynamo' goalkeeper Ilya Bliznyuk shared his impressions of the matches of the 10th round of the Ukrainian championship, which took place last weekend.
Ilya Bliznyuk— 'Dynamo' finally broke its five-match winless streak by confidently defeating 'Kryvbas' 4:0. What do you see as the reason for such a result?
— The Dynamo players deservedly won against Kryvbas, earning three points with a significant advantage. I liked the game itself and how the hosts dominated the field, the pace, the pressure, and how the flanks worked. This showed that 'Kryvbas' has problems in matches against the giants competing in European competitions. In other words, there is something to work on, aim for, and progress in the future.
As for 'Dynamo', I’ll say: after five draws, this victory, I hope, will provide a stimulus for future tournament achievements.
— Our other giant, 'Shakhtar', also earned three points. Judging by the 4:0 score, was their victory over 'Kudriavka' achieved in style?
— I think so. With the rotation that 'Shakhtar' had in this match, the Donetsk team was hoping to win in style. And yet 'the miners' have certain problems that are evident from year to year, including in European matches. This is a serious mistake when defenders and the goalkeeper transition from defense to attack. That is when they try to play the ball out, the opponent overwhelms them.
This was also the case in the match with 'Kudriavka', which earned a penalty but Korishko didn’t convert it. It was relaxed cockiness when the player thought he would slot the ball in the 'Shakhtar' goal from the 'spot' in style. But there is an experienced goalkeeper at the last line of the Donetsk team, who skillfully played against his opponent.
However, this moment did not affect the result, as Shakhtar confidently held territorial and individual advantages and took the points, showcasing their class.
— It seems 'Polissya' has finally recovered from its failures at the start of the season and is now ready to compete for medals?
— 'Polissya' has a very ambitious president who wants the club to earn points in European matches for the country in general and for him in particular. Step by step, they are confidently realizing their tournament ambitions. This is Hennadiy Butkevych’s goal, trying to build a work process with a specific goal—achieving success in various tournaments by winning each match.
But there’s one 'but'. Results are not achieved instantly. We saw what happened last season when 'Polissya’s' results were very disappointing. But the Zhytomyr club has nonetheless gotten on the right track. The president invited Ruslan Rotan to take on the role of head coach, who, like some of his assistants, once played in Dnipro—Butkevych’s hometown. He is interested in having people from Dnipro work in 'Polissya'. Work and give results. Everything is being done for the team to play at the highest level, show meaningful football, and succeed.
And there is no doubt that 'Polissya' will join the fight for medals. However, the game schedule—like a marathon—has a long tournament distance. And whoever distributes their forces correctly and has two equal squads to overcome it without pain, will achieve success at the finish. So far, we can state: 'Polissya' is on the right track, and the match against 'Obolon' showed it once again.
— The winning streak of LNZ is pleasantly surprising as they take maximum points from serious opponents for the third match in a row. Last weekend, 'Metalist 1925′ suffered in the game with Vitaliy Ponomaryov’s team.
— Everything is logical. Vitaliy Ponomaryov has experience, which he accumulated at 'Rukh'. Initially, he worked with the club’s youth team and then headed the main team. So, he has gone through a certain path, during which he met challenges and formed as a coach. Therefore, he has a work plan and applies a game system focused on those people who are part of his team.
When he came to LNZ this summer, he was able to determine his personnel potential: parted ways with some players, signed contracts with some newcomers. And the work of the coach and how he managed the team is evident in today’s game of the Cherkasy team. Ponomaryov—a coach working at a good level. The current successes of the Cherkasy team are largely due to him. Today, LNZ has a collective—and this is significant.
The victory over 'Metalist 1925′, like any other, is challenging. After all, these are efforts that are applied long before the match. You not only set your charges up against the opponent but study their game, analyze all the weak and strong sides, determine the scheme and choose the lineup. And you also hold talks, in which you try to find understanding, both from each player’s perspective and from the team as a whole. And all this needs to be implemented during the game in 90 minutes. This behind-the-scenes coaching work is invisible, but results can testify to it.
— In the Lviv derby, where 'Karpaty' and 'Rukh' faced each other, there were no goals. However, there was a skirmish between players of both teams at the end of the match…
— Like it or not, a derby is a derby. A meeting of teams from one city is always a serious confrontation. Therefore, it is not surprising that there was fervor in the struggle and emotions were high. Currently, 'Rukh' is in the lower part of the tournament table, and 'Karpaty' is in the middle. Although, based on the ambitions set before the season, concerning high places, the main Lviv team should have been higher. Therefore, I believe that the result of this derby is quite natural. It is a case of “The unstoppable force meets the immovable object.” For both teams, a draw result is positive.
— A 'dry' draw was recorded in Rivne, where 'Veres' and 'Zorya' faced off. For the hosts, this is already the third peaceful outcome, which does not help move away from the danger zone.
— Points are important, yet I believe opponents didn’t receive positive emotions for themselves. Both teams wanted to win, but it didn’t happen. There is a certain decline in the game, in my opinion, at 'Zorya'. As for 'Veres', they need to climb upward, away from the 'relegation' zone. However, be that as it may, each opponent has banked one point to their club’s tally.
But there’s one more 'but'. 'Veres' played at home, and what should have been their aim for this match? Of course, the maximum goal—to win. Therefore, I don’t think the Rivne players are satisfied with just one point obtained in the match with 'Zorya'. I believe that, after the winless series, which now stretches for five consecutive tours, in the internal state of 'Veres', everything is not okay. This is evident from the game of the Rivne team. It is not the same as last season.
— It seems that the productive work of Serhiy Nagornyak proves the non-randomness of 'Epitsentr’s' rise to the top tier. His team gradually adapted to the Premier League’s demands, as evidenced by two consecutive wins on foreign fields.
— Even at the beginning of this season, I said that watching 'Epitsentr' play will be very pleasant, as they deservedly entered the Premier League. It is remembered that this club stated they would not buy any well-known players and would only give a chance to those guys who got the nod to the elite plus the youth. But it must be understood that those people who played in the first league do not have experience performing at the highest level. Moreover, the offseason for 'Epitsentr' was very short: as soon as the 2024/25 season in the first league ended, the new season in the Premier League began. Naturally, the team from Kamianets-Podilskyi did not have the opportunity to fruitfully prepare to immediately accelerate to the competitive distance of the top tier.
So the players of 'Epitsentr' weren’t ready at the start of the championship to play and understand what Serhiy Nagornyak required of them. He warned them that it wouldn’t be as easy in the elite as it was in the first league. After all, the championships are completely different: different intensity, different preparation. Only after several defeats, bumping their heads, the Kamianets-Podilskyi players are gradually gaining much-needed experience. And now they are beginning to feel that they can win. If 'Epitsentr' had a group of experienced newcomers in their lineup, then I am sure that, despite the ups and downs, everything would have gone more or less smoothly. And 'Epitsentr' shows good play, proven by recent results.
— Some experts predict relegation for the elite newcomer 'Poltava'. Do you agree that given such tournament results, such an outcome is quite likely?
— I think yes. Although 'Poltava' has a good personnel potential, this club has a bunch of problems. Firstly, the Poltava team plays its home matches not in its native city but in Kropyvnytskyi. Secondly, they don’t have their own base where they could train. Thirdly, Poltava players are constantly on the go, which affects the quality of recovery. Fourthly, the situation with the coaching staff is unclear: one coach got sick, and another was appointed in his place.
When talking about playing characteristics, the class promotion still shows. 'Poltava' constantly plays as the second number, from defense. And you know, everyone was surprised that in Sunday’s game, Poltava players managed to score two goals. For many, it was almost sensational. 'Poltava' players lack confidence in their actions, in both their strengths and the team’s. And I’m by no means saying that the Poltava team doesn’t give their all in the game. No! I’m talking about the fact that many factors influence the game and the result. So, whichever way you look at this situation, you will see the shortcomings. After all, in football, as you know, there are no small details. Everything matters.
Vyacheslav Kulchytskyi
