Igor Leshchuk: We beat Orenburg due to dedication, concentration and professionalism

— Orenburg were the most difficult opponent that we could get at this stage. How was it played against them?

— The game turned out well. We scored an early goal. Then, I managed to neutralize the one-on-one breakthrough. The opponent had only two chances to score. It's good that we were able to increase our lead scoring twice in the second half.

— When you saw a player running one-on-one, you first went forward, and then stepped back, having confused the attacker. Why did you decide to act like this?

— Firstly, I thought that I could intercept the ball. But the rebound is a little different on an artificial pitch, and the ball did not accelerate, but rather slowed down. When I realized that I could no longer play on the interception, I remained in the same position.

— Did you maintain an additional concentration because of the unusual pitch?

— Concentration should always be at the highest level. The opponent played on the same pitch, although it was a little more familiar to Orenburg. We used to train on artificial pitches at the Academy, as well. That’s why many of us are familiar with all this.

— In the second half, Orenburg had one good chance when Prudnikov hit from outside the penalty area. How did you manage to turn aside this shot?

— I managed to react, got down on the line and played according to the situation.

— How did the team manage to win confidently and reach the Cup playoffs?

— We did it due to dedication, concentration and professionalism. It's hard to play against sides from the lower leagues, because they are always poised for the last battle. The favorite is usually more relaxed, but today we avoided this and showed professionalism.

— There were fifty Dynamo fans in the stands, who chanted your name after the match. What does this support mean to you?

— Of course, it's nice. There was even an episode in the match when I turned to them and asked them not to shout like that, because it could distract me a bit from the actions on the pitch. I would like the fans to support the whole team during the match. And after the encounter, they can distinguish a player personally if he deserves it.