Ex-midfielder of the Ukrainian national team about the matches of Dynamo and Dnipro-1 in European competitions
Oleg Shelaev, a well-known football player of the national team of Ukraine in the past, commented on the starting games of Dynamo Kyiv and Dnipro-1 in the group stage of the Europa League and the Conference League, respectively.
– Dynamo recently met with Fenerbahce in the Champions League qualification, knocking out the Turkish team from the most prestigious tournament. Have these games made an impact on the current fight?
– Of course, all this had an impact. But I would say something else. In light of the unsuccessful games of Dynamo in the championship of Ukraine, the team has a bad psychological background. Anxiety before this meeting was among all the fans of the team. Now the team is in decline – both physical and emotional. Dynamo approached the match in Istanbul with a lot of problems. One of them is the lack of an attacker. Legionnaires won’t come to us, and it’s hard to find a good Ukrainian striker. Dynamo has had a forward problem for a long time, for more than a year, but it has not been solved yet.
– As a result, Mircea Lucescu’s wards lost – 1:2. What is the reason for the defeat?
– If you analyze the course of the entire fight, then it is worth recognizing the result as natural. The Turkish team played to win. It happens that this or that team with a bad game achieves a winning result, but this is rare. Of course, it is hard to accept the fact that Dynamo conceded the decisive goal in stoppage time. This is painfully accepted by everyone.
– Why was Lucescu’s speech at the post-match press conference mainly about the rough play of the Fenerbahce players?
– That’s his right. He protects his players and that’s quite normal. Yes, in this meeting there was an abundance of fouls – 35 for two teams. There is the skill of the players in the attack, and there is the skill in defense. So, this evening the defenders of both teams acted not in the best way.
– But eight yellow cards — is that too much for one game?
— Each arbitrator has his own principles. Ekaterina Monzul, perhaps, would send off a couple of players in such a match. The referee has his own interpretations, the manner of refereeing.
– The Turkish team scored both goals after set pieces – a corner and an out. This is hard to understand…
— Standards are elements of the game. Dynamo did not play very close to their gates. That happens.
– And Batshuayi scored the winning goal from the goalkeeper’s line. Next to him was his partner and none of the Dynamo. You rarely see this. Who is guilty?
– Everyone makes mistakes. That’s the beauty of football. The hosts released three fresh players in the attacking line in the second half, and the people of Kiev could not afford it. Fatigue took its toll, I think.
– Garmash plays in the attack at Dynamo, and defender Kravchenko enters the field instead of him, in the attack line. This was never the case with the metropolitan team.
Yes, everyone knows about this problem. Everyone knows Besedin’s shortcomings, there are many of them. But we also know the arguments of Dynamo leaders. Foreigners do not come to us because of the war, but there are no young people.

– As a result, for the first time in Ukrainian history, Dynamo suffered five defeats in a row in official matches. What’s next?
There are so many problems in our life today that much is not clear to the end. Ukraine was attacked, there is a war going on. We are all going through a difficult moment. If a person is sick, then you will not immediately become healthy – it takes time. So it is in football. Let’s see how the club’s management and the players get out of this difficult situation.
– Now let’s move on to the Dnieper-1. In Slovak Kosice, Kucher’s wards lost to the Dutch AZ – 0:1. What can you say about this match?
– Given the balance of power, the Dnepr-1 showed decent football. Wards of Oleksandr Kucher played in a very organized manner, not giving free zones to the opponent. It can be seen that the Dnipro coaching staff studied the opponent’s game well. The away players had little space. Almost the only moment they realized. I believe that the players of Dnipro-1 gradually rolled into the season. Winning matches in the Ukrainian Premier League helped them in this.
– AZ started well in the Eredivisie, second only to Ajax and sharing points with Feyenoord. Our team was opposed by a strong team?
– Undoubtedly. This club was seeded from the first pot in the draw. Of course, the Dutch want to go further in the Conference League, but they often do not play at their maximum in the group stage. Their coach can rotate. But at Dnepr-1, the motivation just went off scale. All the guys wanted to prove to Kucher that they deserve to play in the starting lineup.
– AZ quite often played against Ukrainian teams in European competitions, most recently against Mariupol …
– AZ is a stable club. It can be compared to PSV Eindhoven or Utrecht. The Dutch club has its own game structure and follows it. This is also what our clubs need to learn.
— But we see that the team leader Dovbik is again invisible on the football field. What do you associate it with?
— We all hear about its price tag, about 10 million euros. Perhaps if they give that kind of money for him, then the guy needs to be sold. There is a problem in the psychology of the player. He wants to leave, but there is no way yet. He needs to calm down and work calmly. Personally, I am sure that Artem Dovbyk is the strongest Ukrainian striker who plays in the UPL.
– And what is the reason for the unstable game of Alexander Pikhalenok, another leader. The coachman changes him in the middle of the second half, when everything is decided on the football field?
– It happens that the arrival of a new head coach affects the player. Sasha is a responsible footballer, player of the national team of Ukraine. He tries to play the best he can, but so far he has not succeeded. Maybe the desire is getting in the way. And this takes time.
– Why didn’t the Dnipro team manage to create chances at the opponent’s goal?
— AZ players acted clearly in defense. In five games of the Dutch championship, they conceded only three goals. As we know, each club plays the way the opponent allows it.
– In the next round, Dynamo hosts the Cypriot AEK, and Dnepr-1 plays in Cyprus against Apollo. Will these be decisive games for our clubs?
– Not. I am sure that the paired matches of the 3rd and 4th rounds will be decisive. There, Dynamo will fight with Rennes, and the Dnieper with Vaduz. That’s where everything will be decided.
Source: Sportarena

I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.