We lost unfortunately, Borussia played well with intensity, they pressed a lot, so we couldn’t make any attacking plays. In defence, there were several mistakes in the first half. We played better in the second half, but, unfortunately, we made a simple mistake which led to the penalty. After that, we tried to go forward more and use what we had, but we failed to equalize. Then in stoppage time, we conceded the second goal.
What can you say about three defeats in a row?
Both wins and losses are a part of the game. As for today, it was possible to get a win, but that was a difficult task. As for matches with Club Brugge and Rubin, that happens; we played well but the wins didn’t come when we expect them. We need to be patient and prepare for the next match.
Zenit had three defeats in a row back in 2018 five months into the season. Now it is also five months since the coronavirus break. Can you compare these two runs?
No, every season is different. That season was after the World Cup and we had some problems, now we have different issues. A lot has changed since then, the foreign player limit for example, and injuries, this has affected our game. The loss of players affects things. The guys who are starting are giving their all and are doing well, we gave our all today.
Dzyuba seemed to be finding things difficult with their defenders. What was the counter-attack plan?
Why counterattack? We wanted to control the ball. Sometimes things work and sometimes not as much as we would like. Erokhin, Kuzyaev and Driussi were our attacking players meant to contribute to our attacks.
Why did Mostovoy go upfront and not wide? Couldn’t Driussi have moved to the centre forward position?
Driussi is not as quick. Mostovoy is a faster player and had more opportunity to open things up behind. Driussi was not the best option for this game. There was a lot of space available, so a fast player was needed.
Will Azmoun be available for Khimki? And can you tell us about Malcom's injury?
Yesterday there was an official statement about both Malcom and Azmoun. I think everyone has read it. When Azmoun is ready, he will play. Although it is difficult to say when. As for Malcolm, as we said, in 2-3 weeks he will be back in general training. We are looking forward to it.
