Dnipro minimally lost the first match to AEK
Mentor SC Dnepr-1 Oleksandr Kucher summed up the first match of the 1/16 finals of the Conference League against AEKa (0:1). The coach of the Ukrainian club stressed that the opponent is now in the best shape.
“We understood that the opponent would press us, they would open up, run forward, and we would create space and attack by controlling the ball. As for the substitutions, they were not chaotic. It was necessary to step up the game when we were already losing – we put the aggressive Kogut and Nazarenko ahead. I think that these were equivalent substitutions, because Dovbik had an injury, and Pikhalyonok was already running on at the end of the match, so it was necessary to replace them and release fresh forces into the game.
“I can’t say that Peglow and Heiner played poorly. Of course, these are new players who have not been with us for so long and they are still getting used to the team and our game. They will need to understand our principles. I think it will get better.
“Now we met with them, when the opponent is, as they say in the season, has an unbeaten streak and looks very good overall. We haven’t played official matches for a long time, so it was very difficult to play the first match against such an opponent.”
The denouement of the meeting took place in the 84th minute. A canopy from a free-kick from Gustavo was successfully closed by Angel Garcia, ahead of two players from the Ukrainian team.
The second leg, which will be home for Oleksandr Kucher’s wards, will take place in Kosice, Slovakia, on February 23.
Source: Sportarena
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