Dynamo Head Coach answered journalists' questions after the match against Zenit (1:4).
— I would like to congratulate my colleague Sergey Semak on a victory. In the first half, we did not manage to enter the game well, which resulted in an early conceded goal. We tried to play high, be confident and aggressive. Unfortunately, we lacked accurate passes and composure. In the second half, we took the game under our control, put pressure and scored a comeback goal. By 1:1, we had quite good chances to score. Zenit capitalized on their chances, scoring two goals in three minutes. Today we faced a very strong opponent.
Talking about the final score, I can say that this was a painful defeat. We are disappointed. But we must understand that we have to go through such matches on our path of development and learn from them. When we work on mistakes, we will become even stronger.
— Did you have any doubts about such an attacking game plan? In your first match in St. Petersburg, the team played in a more defensive way.
— I think that we became even more aggressive during the time that had passed since that match. In the second half we had to use our chances and score the second goal. It is worth noting that three days ago we did a lot of running work in Orenburg. Today there was also a very intense match, and both teams were not much different from each other. At the same time, we had one more shot compared to Zenit. We need to come to finishing with more confidence. The team should go through this stage in its development, as I told my players in the dressing room. We need to believe in our football and go our own way.
— You told about Dynamo poor start of the game. What was the reason for this? Does this go to the whole team or personally to Ivan Ordets?
— If we talk about the first conceded goal, then I would not point exclusively to the Ordets’ actions. It was the mistake of our entire defensive line. Maybe we lost concentration somewhere. During the whole match we played quite aggressively and made a lot of tackles. In the second half, we put pressure on the opponent and controlled the game for some time. But we didn't manage to score the second goal, which could have turned the game around. After that we conceded two goals in three minutes.
— What can you say about Dynamo chances for a high spot in the standings?
— We don't bother our heads by the table. First of all, we focus on our daily work in order to gradually rise to a higher level and dominate in matches against strong opponents.
— The RPL matches show that Zenit are very difficult to be beaten by pressure. What should be done to prevent the St. Petersburg side from so confident transitions?
— I think we have succeeded in high pressure. There were moments when we forced Zenit to use long balls, did not allow them to play with short passes. We made a lot of tackles. We played a high-quality encounter in this regard. We need to correct some aspects: after tackles, the team needs to be better in ball possession. In the matches against top opponents, we need to look for our chances and try to dominate.
— In the match against Spartak, Zenit attacked a lot by sending the ball behind the defenders’ backs. Did you pay special attention to this aspect before the game?
— When we go high in pressure, then our defensive line moves forward. But we should understand — when Wendel or Barrios get a ball in an open position, they often find Azmoun by passes. In such episodes, the defensive line should play lower. I think we reacted well at this kind of play. I am proud of the team. We played bravely, we were not afraid of such a strong opponent. We need to believe in ourselves even more and benefit from our chances.