Dynamo Moscow head coach Marcel Licka answered journalists' questions after the derby with Spartak at VTB Arena (1:2).
— The team played a good game, looking confident in defense and not allowing the opponent to create any chance before conceding a goal. Unfortunately, in the end of the match we gave two goals to Spartak. We had to realize our opportunities and score the second goal. After that we could have played on fast counterattacks, which we did well today. It's hard to talk after such a game, in which the team showed good emotions and positive things on the pitch, but left it a loser.
— Dynamo conceded the same goals after the goalkeeper's mistakes. How would you comment on it?
— When I went into the dressing room, I thanked everyone for their attitude to the game and told Igor that everything is not always pink in life. Those shots weren't difficult at all, but it turned out how it turned out. We made two gifts to Spartak.
— It is clear that Dynamo have worked on the mistakes and almost did not let the opponent do anything. What useful aspects did you learn from the match between Spartak and Zenit?
— In attack, they try to play according to the 4-1-3-2 formation. They have fast players on the wings, who can beat one-on-one. In addition, they try to overload the defense with numerous crosses into the penalty area on Sobolev and Ugalde. We have been preparing for it. In the first half, Zinkovsky tried it 3-4 times, and we managed to intercept everything. We were preparing for their active wing game and long balls behind defenders' backs. The guys worked out all this well.
In positional attacks, Zobnin and Khlusevich went into the midfield, and there Bitello and Moumi played well and helped our wingbacks. A quick transition worked, Tyukavin and Smolov could score. In addition, I liked the episode when Tyuka saw that the goalkeeper had gone far out of the goal and tried to throw him from his half of the pitch. It's a skill, it's great.
— Would you like to face Spartak again in the Cup this season?
— I would like to play with them again in the Cup, but first we need to win in Orenburg, where it will be difficult for us.
— Do you think that the first goal broke your team mentally?
— It is clear that it was a serious blow, but it didn't repeat the match with Rostov, when we recovered for 10 minutes. The game was quite intense, and it is not always easy to come on as a substitute and get into the pace of the match. But Fomin helped us in the midfield. Spartak had no dangerous chances, they rolled the ball far from our goal. We closed the zones well and made good runs to the opposite half of the pitch.
— Zenit and Krasnodar won. Is it possible to say that the championship race is over for your team?
— Now the difference is 6 points, and for a team like Zenit, this is a sufficient gap. It is clear that they still have games against us and Krasnodar, anything can happen, but today this race is very far from us. We need to think more about how to keep third place, because CSKA, Lokomotiv and Spartak won this round.
