Kriventsov: In autumn, Dnepr-1 looked better. This is not a reproach, this is how the match with AEK turned out

Dnipro-1 played in Cyprus for the third time this season. This time in the play-off for reaching the 1/8 finals of the Conference League. And for the third time he met with AEK and failed to win in the third match with the club from Larnaca. The ex-player of Shakhtar and the Ukrainian national team, who most recently headed Metalist 1925, Valeriy Kryventsov, appreciated the game of Oleksandr Kucher’s team in their first official match in 2023.

— We are the first in 2023 saw Dnepr-1 in the official match. What did you pay attention to in the match between Dnipro and AEK?

– Everyone saw some new players in the Dnepr-1. It’s about Heiner and Peglow. It was felt that they were still fully integrated into the team’s game. They lacked understanding. Of course, it was a very important fight for Dnepr-1. Everyone understood the price of the match perfectly. But, probably, in the fall, Dnepr-1 looked better. This is not a reproach, it’s just how the duel in Cyprus turned out. The opponent is a downed team, where there were few newcomers. The hosts played quite pragmatically.

— At this moments at the Dnieper-1 were

– Yes. Pikhalyonok and twice Gutsulyak could score in this meeting. Sasha Pikhalenka’s moment was especially good. But, it didn’t work out. There was a great interaction between Dovbik and Pikhalenok, but they didn’t manage to score.

– The beginning of the match was quite difficult for the Ukrainian team. Is it natural?

– Yes, the Cypriots, as they say, are on the roll, their championship is in full swing. The hosts had three good moments, but we were lucky. I think that, today, the physical form of AEK players is better than that of Dnepr-1 players.

— Dnipro-1 played better in the second half. Do you agree?

– Yes. The guys and the ball controlled better, and calmed down. I was upset by the missed goal, where Babenko could not play the episode with his opponent. In general, the left-back of AEK played perfectly. But whether the goalkeeper of the guests Valef could get out of the gate in this situation, I’m not sure. There was a good pitch, from the goalkeeper. Growth keeper guests and not enough. Conditional van der Sar would come out of the gate, no questions asked. And yet, nothing is lost for the wards of Oleksandr Kucher.

– Why can neither Dnipro-1 nor Dynamo Kiev beat this AEK?

– There are no invincible teams. The coaching staff of Dnipro-1, I am sure, will draw the right conclusions from the defeat. Defeating AEK is quite realistic in a week in Kosice. We need to show more aggression, especially at the gates of others. Of course, the attacking game needs to be improved – this is the key to a successful result in the future.

– In your opinion, what is the reason for the defeat of the Dnieper-1?

“Now it’s hard to say for sure. Dnipro played quite well at the training camp, I saw many matches of Oleksandr Kucher’s men. Of course, you can’t compare sparring and playing in the Conference League, there’s a different level of responsibility. The pressure on guys is completely different. And yet, nothing is lost. The whole struggle is ahead in this pair.