Ex-defender of Donetsk’s «Shakhtar» Serhiy Yashchenko assessed the recent match of his former team against Kyiv’s «Dynamo» (3:1) in the 11th round of the Ukrainian championship.
Serhiy Yashchenko— This is a real derby, and a great pleasure for the fans, — noted Serhiy Volodymyrovych. — Yes, in my prediction before the match, I anticipated a draw. However, I understood that the «miners» could win the derby if they showcase slightly better execution than in the Ukrainian Cup match, and if Dynamo makes a few more mistakes…
— What was «Dynamo» lacking this time?
— There was motivation but no excitement. There wasn’t the necessary movement for such a level of competition. And we saw this not only in the first half. After the break, Dynamo’s tempo was also lower than in the second half of the cup match against «Shakhtar». The «miners» came to the game with maximum motivation and, most importantly, managed to show a higher class. Indeed, I believe that overall the class of the current «Shakhtar» players is higher than that of «Dynamo», and this needs to be realized.
— What mistakes did «Dynamo» make that the «miners» capitalized on?
— The «white-blues» lost almost all the aerial duels. It’s hard to understand how the team prepares for this. Therefore, it’s no surprise the first conceded goal came from the air… Eginaldo masterfully outplayed Popov. Additionally, «Dynamo» lagged in passing accuracy and in goal attempts. Moreover, they needed to hit at least once as Neiverton did. «Shakhtar» had its own downside too — after the break, their Brazilians lacked defensive play, which was a significant risk. But Dynamo couldn’t press their opponent at «Arena Lviv».
— The third conceded goal by «Dynamo» is…
— That’s going all-in. It didn’t matter anymore if they lost 1:2 or 1:3, it was the same… So, Kyivans took maximum risks.
— Were you surprised by Popov’s appearance?
— You mean his injury and some statements? I don’t know… Shovkovskiy clearly saw no problem in all of this. If it weren’t for the derby with «Shakhtar», Popov, possibly, would have just rested, remaining on the bench. I don’t rule out that Popov himself assured the coach of his readiness.
— Yarmolenko played at the tip of the attack again and played until the final whistle. What did this give «Dynamo»?
— Andriy needs to end his playing career and help Oleksandr Shovkovskiy in the coaching staff. The center-forward position is not his place. He no longer has the strength for it. I don’t know, maybe Shovkovskiy hoped that Yarmolenko would lead the team…
— To sum up everything, name three main reasons for «Dynamo’s» defeat.
— It’s the choice of the starting lineup, a worse attitude towards the match than the opponent, and the bet on 0:0 in the first half. There were also mistakes in the Ukrainian Cup, but «Shakhtar» didn’t take advantage of them then.
— What is the significance of «Shakhtar’s» four-point lead over «Dynamo»?
— I think the «miners» will try not to lose this advantage. The victory in Lviv with a score of 3:1 will serve as a powerful motivator for them. However, it’s not uncommon for such emotional battles to be followed by a decline. There will be a risk for «Shakhtar» in the 12th round…
Oleh Leonchuk
