Slavisa Jokanovic: We need to raise our level to become more competitive

— Of course, I am dissatisfied with the final score, which was very important today. We started the game well and controlled the ball well. But we let the threads of the game out of the hands when conceding a penalty. We had opportunities to improve the situation in the second half, but the team had to be more aggressive and move the ball faster, especially in the final third of the pitch. We tried to push. We could have pulled out the victory, but our efforts were not enough to do it.

— Is Nicolas Ngamaleu's replacement a consequence of his foul in the penalty area?

— No, the reason is different. We lacked aggressiveness and power in attack, and we tried to improve these aspects with the help of substitutions.

— What is the reason for the reverse substitution of Daniil Lesovoy?

— I decided to field the second striker for the end of the match. There was a choice between Lesovoy or Zakharyan to leave the pitch, and we counted on Arsen, because he could make a dangerous cross or shoot from distance.

— Considering the regulations of the Russian Cup and the fact that Dynamo could not leave the tournament today, did it impact the mood of the team?

— Obviously, we didn't play well enough to reach the semifinals. We paid a high price for conceding a late goal in the first match. We have to keep working and preparing for the next round. We wanted to go further and remain in the RPL Path. Fortunately, we have a second chance, and we will try to play better in the next stage.

— Do you have any preferences for the next opponent?

— It's not in my power. Tomorrow we will know our opponent and start preparing for the match.

— There was a large number of unforced mistakes today. What was the reason?

— You're right. Especially after the penalty we started to play nervously and make a lot of unforced mistakes. There were enough of them in the second half, too. We must look more confident under pressure and try not to make simple mistakes.

— It is clear that Dynamo are not ready to put an active pressure in comparison with other teams. What can serve as an explanation for this?

— We have to play more aggressively, win more rebounds and tackle more balls. We need to improve all these aspects. We are not satisfied with our play in these two matches. We need to raise our level to become more competitive in the future.