Slavisa Jokanovic: We are seeing obvious progress in comparison with the first round match

— The team played a high-quality match today. At first we lacked a little energy because it was very hot. Our pressure did not work so well. Then we scored the first goal and started playing better. In the second half, we already controlled the game, scored the fourth goal and could have scored more than once. We are seeing obvious progress in team actions in comparison with the first round match.

— What was the key factor for Dynamo that managed to improve the play after the cooling break?

— I didn't say anything special during this break. I asked the players to be more aggressive and try to find free zones. We were not surprised by the Torpedo formation. They had already played like this in pre-season matches, so we knew where to find these zones. I just reminded the players what they needed to do. I tried to support and inspire them. Thanks to the skills of our players, the team could crack Torpedo defense and score four goals.

— What was your reaction, when you saw that Daniil Fomin let Fedor Smolov take the second penalty?

— We were leading by 3:0 by that moment. Smolov played a great match and deserved this gift. Fomin is definitely the main penalty taker of our team then Smolov goes.

— You started making substitutions late enough, fielding Yaroslav Gladyshev half an hour before the end of the match. Why did you leave Arsen Zakharyan on the pitch until the last minutes, although he seemed to be tired?

— Arsen is a young and energetic footballer. He missed a lot of training sessions, so we decided to let him play more in order to bring him in optimal shape. I also changed both wingers keeping in mind that fresh players would put more pressure on the opponent. I always try to make substitutions following the logic of the match.

— What can you say about young players who came on as substitutes?

— I don't divide players into young and experienced. We have a group of footballers who work together. If the players show themselves in training, they get playing time in matches and try to establish themselves. We have serious goals to solve. So we are moving to them all together.

— What can you say about Guillermo Varela’s case?

— Yesterday Varela came up to me and told that he was not psychologically ready for the game. Now he is considering different options. Varela is an important and experienced player of our team. Let's see what happens. It's a difficult situation for all clubs now because of the FIFA decision. Foreign players have the right to leave Russia, but we need to adapt to any circumstances. I came here to build a stronger team than last season, and I will try to do that.

— Were you surprised by Varela's behavior? Will the atmosphere inside the team be the same if he decides to stay?

— I will be glad if he stays with us and continues to be part of our team. Of course, this is an unusual situation, but I'm trying to understand his reaction. Now all foreign players have a privilege – they can play here or leave at any time. Everyone makes mistakes, it's common for people. We have to deal with this case and keep moving. If Guillermo stays, it will be great, if not, we will look for another option.

— What are Roberto Fernández’ current conditions?

— He just flew from Paraguay yesterday. Today and tomorrow he is undergoing a medical examination. I hope he starts training on Wednesday, so it's too early to talk about his current conditions. The club has been following him for quite a long time. I think this player will be able to strengthen our defensive line and make it stronger.