Mykola Shaparenko and Georgy Bushchan shared their emotions after a disappointing match for their team.
Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Mykola Shaparenko and the team's goalkeeper Georgy Bushchan commented on the crushing defeat from Rome's Lazio in the match of the first round of the main stage of the Europa League of the 2024/25 season.
The match, nominally home for the “white-blues”, at the Volksparkstadion arena in Hamburg, Germany, ended with a score of 0:3 in favor of the Italian club.
Nikolay Shaparenko
“I think that in today's match everything was decided by the quality of our actions in the final stage of attacks. Lazio had two or three chances in the first half, they realized them and showed how to finish attacks.
It is clear that there is a difference between the Ukrainian championship and European cups. Lazio is one of the best teams in Italy, very high-quality players play here, of course, their level is felt.
The Lazio goalkeeper showed a very classy game, made several good saves, including after a free kick and after a shot by Yarmolenko. We finished our attacks well, but the goalkeeper was at his best.
What we analyzed and what the coaching staff told us, the Italians showed on the field. So there were no surprises,” Shaparenko said on MEGOGO.
Georgiy Bushchan
“Yes, a quick goal always ruins the game. Ceballos' injury did not particularly affect the team's play. So, unfortunately, only the missed goal played a role.
I think this is the level of our championship. You saw that the game was going well, and there were chances, but, unfortunately, we did not score. Teams from the top leagues decide on half-chances – and that’s it. I think that with such a game we will have a result. Today we are upset, but we are preparing and moving on.
The goals conceded? These are half-chances that the opponent’s striker realized. We have already played about 10 rounds, so this cannot be a lack of coordination between the defenders. Lazio was simply able to realize their chances.
What did they talk about in the locker room when the score was 0:3? About the need to stick to your game and not stop. There was nothing special,” Bushchan said on MEGOGO.
In the second round of the Europa League, the Kyiv team will play away against the German Hoffenheim on October 3. Before that, the Dynamo team will visit Left Bank on September 29 as part of the Ukrainian championship.
Recall that in the updated format of the Europa League, 36 clubs play in a single league, where they will play against eight different opponents (four home and four away matches).
All of Dynamo's opponents in the main round of the Europa League: Roma (Italy), Lazio (Italy), Ferencvaros (Hungary), Real Sociedad (Spain), Galatasaray (Turkey), Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic), RFS (Latvia), “Hoffenheim” (Germany).
The eight best teams of the main stage of the Europa League will get into the 1/8 finals. The clubs that take places from 9th to 24th in the overall standings will play paired play-off matches for a place in the 1/8 finals. The rest will finish their performance in European competitions.