The head coach of Kyiv's 'Dynamo', Igor Kostyuk, summarized the minimal victory over Azerbaijani 'Karabakh' in the Conference League match. The qualifying match ended with a score of 1:0 in favor of the Kyiv team thanks to a goal by Ponomarenko. At the post-match press conference, the coach of the 'white-blues' admitted that the result was achieved not so much due to tactical genius, but thanks to the character and unity of the players.
Unity and character as the key to victory
Igor Kostyuk expressed satisfaction with the actions of his team, but emphasized the psychological aspect of the game. According to the coach, 'Dynamo' managed to win primarily because there was a real team on the field. "Thanks to character [we won], thanks to the fact that today there was a real team on the field. This is what brought the result," the specialist noted. He also added that the footballers drew the right conclusions from the mistakes of the past season, which allowed them to hold out in a tough struggle against a strong opponent.
Lobanovskyi's philosophy and squad restructuring
An important aspect of the current transformation of the club was the return of several footballers from loans, which allowed the coaching staff to find new connections between players. Kostyuk recalled the famous quote by Valeriy Lobanovskyi that a team is built for about two years, and noted that the process is going its own way. "Today we made a small rotation, and the match plan that we prepared worked," the coach emphasized. This confirms that the tactical scheme laid down in the preparation was implemented on the field with high efficiency.
Tactical analysis: counter-pressing and realization
From a tactical point of view, the Kyiv team demonstrated a quality exit from under pressure and a competent restructuring after losing the ball. Kostyuk particularly highlighted the work on counter-pressing, which allowed 'Dynamo' to control the tempo of the game. However, the coach did not hide the shortcomings: the only negative of the match, he called the low realization. The team had all the chances to double the advantage, which could have made the game more comfortable, but the footballers could not take full advantage of their moments.
Start of the Ukrainian championship: game in Rivne
In just three days, 'Dynamo' awaits the first official match of the new season of the Ukrainian championship — an away match in Rivne against the local 'Veres'. In this regard, a question arose about the possible postponement of the game in order to prepare for the return match in Baku. Kostyuk assured that the club does not plan to postpone the match. The coach believes that an official game of the national championship will only help the team get into shape. At the same time, the depth of the current squad allows for rotation without loss of quality, which will add confidence to the players and a better understanding of tactical requirements.
