Dynamo Head Coach answered journalists' questions after the Cup win over Baltika.
— I would like to thank our coaching staff and players for this tough victory. Unfortunately, we made a lot of easy mistakes in the match that did not allow us to show the football that we can play. I want to note our goalkeeper’s brilliant play, as well as great goalkeeping coaching. We managed to grab this important win together.
— What can you say about Nikola Moro?
— I can't give a concrete answer on Nikola Moro’s conditions yet. His injury doesn't look good. It will take time to say for sure whether he will be able to play against CSKA on Sunday.
— Why did you decide to replace Sergey Parshivlyuk at half-time: because of a yellow card or for tactical reasons?
— We understood that risk and we didn't want to take it. We knew that Baltika often attacked through his wing and used a lot of crosses. Therefore, we decided to make this substitution.
— What can you tell about Baltika? Is the team worthy of promoting to the Premier League?
— We have analyzed a lot of Baltika matches. This is a team with a coaching style, which has a clear game plan. This is a tough opponent for any team. Baltika are strong in transitions. I think they have a good enough chance in promoting to the top division.
— What happened to the team in the second half? Did you like the atmosphere at the stadium, where more than 16 thousand fans gathered?
— I wouldn't say that the halves were very different. In the second half, we made quite a few easy mistakes. We lacked pass accuracy. In addition, Baltika picked up this emotional wave coming from the full stands and scored an absolutely deserved goal. After that, the game turned into a penalty shootout, in which Igor Leshchuk did his job, and we won such a difficult match.
— How did you determine the top five penalty takers?
— We kept in mind that the Cup fixture could end on penalties, and we had previously compiled a list of players who could take the ball at such a crucial moment. Before the penalty shootout, we gathered, I asked the guys if they were ready. And then we determined who would shoot in what order. All of them showed their best skills, and we deservedly advanced into the next round.