Dynamo right-back Guillermo Varela shared his emotions after the win over Nizhny Novgorod. The Uruguayan’s low cross led to a late game-winning goal in this encounter.
— There were no obvious chances from our side in the first half. What was the reason for this?
— We knew how the opponent would play. They were sitting very deep in defense. We controlled the ball more, but we couldn't penetrate into the penalty area. That’s why there were few chances. Fortunately, our team managed to find one chance and take three points by the end.
— Did you expect such a game, given that the Cup match turned out to be much easier?
— We played at home in the Cup, at our stadium in front of the fans. That's why it was easier. Today we expected a tough match. It is important that we didn't concede any goal and scored ourselves.
— You have been at this stadium with the Uruguay national team during the World Cup. Did you remember those times?
— Yes, of course. When we arrived here, we checked in at the same hotel where the families of Uruguayan football players lived during the World Cup. The stadium and the dressing room also recalled that tournament.
— The team had to crack the opponent's defense throughout the match. How difficult was it to play against such a team?
— It's always difficult to play when the opponent defends so tightly. We controlled the ball a lot, but an unpleasant situation could arise in case of our ball loss. Usually such teams are very dangerous on the counterattack. It's good that we kept the clean sheet, scored by the end of the match and took the important three points.
— Did the luck reward our team for efforts?
— Of course, we worked very hard. Everyone gave his all. Thank God that we pulled out a difficult victory.
— In Russian, we have a special saying «A cool assist does not turn sour». Tell us how you managed to score.
— It was not an assist, but a real goal! (laughs) Actually, I made an assist, but the ball flew into the goal. And it doesn't matter from whom.
— Today CSKA lost, Dynamo won and caught up to Zenit. Is this spot in the table important to you?
— When we thanked the fans, Parsh told me that Khimki had won over CSKA by 4:2. It's good that we created separation from them. Now we will wait for the Zenit match.
— Today there were about two thousand Dynamo fans in the stands. Did this match feel like a home one?
— Yes, after the game I saw how many Dynamo fans were in the stands. I didn't expect to see so many supporters on the road. It's great.