Igor Leshchuk shared his impressions after the match against Lokomotiv and talked about his tremendous save after Zé Luís header.
— What are your impressions of this tough match? You were recognized as the man of the game.
— I am very glad that I managed to keep the clean sheet. Of course, our mood is not good because we couldn’t win and lost our chances to qualify for European Cups.
— Did the heavy rain make it tougher for you? Was it better to deny the slippery ball than to catch it?
— We discussed this point before the match. If there was any uncertainty, it would be better to deny the ball. We also planned to kick it forward trying to avoid short passes near the box.
— You have played both your matches this season against Lokomotiv. Can you call yourself an expert on this team?
— Apparently this is my favorite team, because I play against them all the time. Lokomotiv are the only team I've played against in three matches so far.
— Did you feel anxiety before the match, given the fact that last time you came out on the pitch in November?
— Every football player can feel a little bit nervous. But when you come out on the pitch, this feeling should disappear. And today it was the case. Before the match, I was more worried about the final score than about my game. During the match, there was no time to think about these things.
— How did you deny Zé Luís header?
— Instinctively. I didn't even have time to think much — my hand automatically went up after the strike.
— How did you keep your concentration for the rest of the match after such a brilliant save?
— On the contrary, you pull yourself together. It was more difficult before this save, because there was no activity in my penalty box. I had to keep concentration and be ready for saving the team when it was necessary.