Dynamo head coach Marcel Licka answered journalists' questions after the game with Pari NN (4:1).
— We played a fairly disciplined game both in attack and defense. We were preparing for the opponent's wing play and tried to use free zones between the lines, where Carrascal and Bitello looked good. In addition, I would like to note the performance of our defensive midfielders Chavez and Fomin, who scored a nice goal. But most of all, I liked the team spirit shown on the pitch. Everyone worked for the team, fought after ball losses and pressed the opponents.
— Were you afraid when the Nizhny Novgorod side organized several dangerous attacks at the beginning of the second half?
— There was only one dangerous chance, when, after a pass from the wing, a player missed the target. Otherwise, we were ready for these crosses, our defenders cleared all attempts confidently.
— Dynamo are currently third. Which final spot in the table will be satisfactory for you?
— We must admit that we are unlikely to fight for the championship title anymore. Zenit are an experienced team, and I doubt that they will allow us to win back such a gap. We need to keep the third place and maybe look towards Krasnodar if they make mistakes. Now the big focus is on the Cup – we have a derby against Spartak ahead, in which there will be no favorite.
— You have broken a series of 3 defeats in the championship. What was the focus on when preparing for the match?
— We focused on the team spirit so that there would not be 11 individualists on the pitch. We played a good game against Spartak, but the attitude to the matches against Rostov and Ural was bad. If we want to fight for medals, then we cannot allow ourselves to come to the pitch with such a mindset. It's good that we managed to win today and make a small gap from the pursuers. Now we need to quickly switch to the next trip to Orenburg and think about winning that match too. In 48 hours, we must find freshness in both our legs and heads.
— Why did you decide to put Daniil Fomin in the starting line-up today? Are you satisfied with his performance?
— Diego Laxalt faced some problems, he had a high fever after the match in Orenburg, so he missed several training sessions and trained only yesterday. We have a high competition in the team, so the players get their chances. Foma played well in Orenburg and looked good today too. The goal he scored shows his self-confidence and desire to influence the course of the match.
