Dynamo head coach Marcel Licka answered journalists' questions after the Cup match with Krasnodar (4:3).
— In the first 40 minutes, the guys did everything I asked: they ran, did their best, fought, pressed well and sent balls behind the defenders' backs. But Krasnodar also have good players, and after Krivtsov's goal, for some reason, chaos began again. We left the dressing room after the break, and the opponent immediately scored another goal. Then we calmed down, started showing our football, took the lead again, but conceded a penalty. Tackles inside the penalty box are a big risk, and I said that it's better to always stay on the feet and meet the opponent.
Fortunately, Zakha scored from the free kick with a ricochet, just as Krasnodar did in the first match. We could say they got their debt back. I am glad that we fought to the end and showed character. Three days ago and today, two different squads demonstrated that they could leave the comfort zone, play aggressively until the last minutes, and it's very nice. Obviously, now we will always have to score four goals and believe that the opponent will not score the same number (laughs). I hope the fans like this kind of football.
— Dynamo played two matches with Krasnodar and conceded 6 goals from them. Are they a tough opponent for your team?
— It is always difficult to play against such rivals as Krasnodar, Zenit or Spartak. Sometimes you lose to them, but the main thing is how you react to these defeats. Thanks to this lesson, it is possible and necessary to progress. Roberto Fernandez played for the second time against Cordoba who is a very skillful striker. It's great, in such matches he learns to play against a tough opponent.
Of course, I would like to calmly win by 4:0, but I also like such prolific games against a strong rival very much. In the first match we lost by 1:3, now we won by 4:3 – this means that the team reacted to that defeat brilliantly.
— Vyacheslav Grulev scores in the second consecutive match. Can you comment on his play?
— When Vyacheslav plays as a striker, he runs well behind the defenders' backs and uses his body well. And he is also very good at finishing attacks – with his head, with the right or left foot. Before the substitution, I asked Tyuka if he could come out on the wing to leave Grulev in the center, but Kostya said he also wanted to score. Therefore, we decided to move Slava to the wing. I am very happy to have three such strikers in the team who know how to score: Fedya registered two goals at the start of the season, Tyuka and Slava scored three each. I can say that Grulev also deserves a spot in the starting line-up.