Dynamo Head Coach answered journalists' questions ahead of the match against Zenit.
— Tomorrow a very difficult game awaits us. We are looking forward to this rivalry. We understand that Zenit are a top team with no weak points. They are good both in attack and defense. We are in optimal conditions too and we will give everything to show our best football tomorrow.
— Are there any injured players in the team after the Cup game?
— Laxalt and Lesovoy will definitely not be available for tomorrow’s encounter. Szymanski’s appearance is not clear yet. We will make a final decision on him tomorrow. The rest of the players are ready to take the pitch.
— Is Denis Makarov ready to come out from the first minutes?
— He made a good impression in the encounter against Orenburg. Tomorrow we will decide on his appearance in this match.
— Arsen Zakharyan played two consecutive matches in the midfield. Do you see him constantly in this position? How will Sebastian Szymanski’s role change?
— Szymanski is a very important player for us. He always plays aggressively keeping a high pace. Arsen is a versatile footballer who can play both in the midfield and on the wing. This season he successfully performed in both positions. Tomorrow we will choose a formation and decide in which positions the players will take the pitch.
— In previous years, Dynamo did not compete for the first place. Are the players mentally ready for this? Do they understand the full responsibility of this match?
— Of course, we understand the current situation. Tomorrow two leading teams will play. We want to show our potential. We need to stick to our game principles — playing with confidence and dedication. At the same time, we do not fill our heads with unnecessary thoughts and come to the encounter against Zenit with full concentration.
— Who will take the goal tomorrow?
— Our goalkeeper’s team is at a high level. Anton Shunin will take the goal against Zenit.
— Have you already chosen a centre-forward for the game?
— We have different options. There are Tyukavin and Grulyov, who have been playing well in recent matches. We also have a young Gladyshev who is making progress, Igboun and N’Jie as well. You'll see it tomorrow.
— What formation do you expect from Zenit in tomorrow's match?
— When they control the ball, they show variability. For example, Douglas Santos can take the position of the left-back or shift to the position of the defensive midfielder. I don't know which formation Sergey Semak will choose, but we are ready for both options – with three centre-backs and four defenders in a line. The main thing is to follow our game philosophy.
— Do you expect Sardar Azmoun and Artyom Dzyuba to come out as a tandem in the starting lineup?
— Zenit have a lot of skilled footballers in the squad. Perhaps, Dzyuba and Azmoun will play together. We should not worry about who exactly will be in the starting lineup of the St. Petersburg side. We have watched the detailed cuts of all Zenit players and tomorrow we will see who will play in their offense.
— In your first match against Zenit, you moved away from your principle — the team played with three centre-backs and refused high pressure. Is it possible to expect something similar tomorrow, or you will stick to your usual style of play?
— Pressure does not have any key influence on the formation we play. I watched the last year match. We played well for the first 15-20 minutes, put pressure competently, entered into tackles aggressively and created goal scoring chances. Unfortunately, we could not open the score. Of course, many things have changed in these 10 months, we have made many significant steps forward. We plan to play aggressively, use high pressure and perform with confidence on the pitch. Our team has enough skills to show good football. There will be periods in the game when we play with a low block. At the same time, it is important to maintain the same aggressiveness, come into tackles with confidence and not be afraid. We have to minimize unforced errors and ball losses.
— What emotions did you feel following the match between Zenit and Spartak? How many times have you watched this game?
— I watched this encounter twice. Zenit played very effectively, which resulted in a number of goals they scored in the end.
— Will Zenit have an advantage because of physical conditions?
— I don't think the Cup encounter will have much impact. Yes, we had a bigger load than Zenit. But taking today's training into consideration, our team is in good physical shape.
— Two teams that make good use of set-pieces will play. Will you prepare any surprises in this regard? And how to neutralize Yaroslav Rakitskiy’s crosses?
— We have been successful by set-pieces in previous matches. We have many different options how to execute them. Zenit also have good set-piece makers and tall players who can finish in the final stage. So we need to be reliable during these moments and play with full concentration.
— Do you think Zenit are the strongest team in the RPL? Is it really possible to move them from the first place this season?
— Zenit currently have the best choice of players in Russia. The team is in optimal shape. We understand how serious our opponent is. We have to come on the pitch with confidence, give ourselves 100 percent and show the will to win.