Andrey Mostovoy: "Both teams needed the win as that meant continuing in Europe in the Spring"

The Zenit midfielder spoke to us after the 1-1 draw against Malmo. 
Andrey Mostovoy: "Both teams needed the win as that meant continuing in Europe in the Spring"

How was it joining the game in the second half?

Everything was clear to me, we were losing 1-0 so we switched to playing with four defenders, a more attacking formation for us. When things are like this you don't even need to say anything. When you’re 1-0 down you need to attack and score.

Did Zenit underestimate Malmo?

That’s hard to say. It’s the Champions League so we know we’re playing a top club and have to be at our best. We were a bit unlucky, but that happens. The most important thing is that in the second half we managed to turn the tide, we created a lot of chances and got our goal.

There were a lot of fouls on the pitch. Did this affect the game?

Without question. Both teams needed the win as that meant continuing in Europe in the Spring. It was a battle and neither side could give way, but it's good that we did it.

The match against Chelsea is now a dead rubber, is that how to describe the game?

We are playing Chelsea at home, so we need to feel as free as possible and to play the best attacking football we can. We need to play well, score and go onto the pitch calmly and try and enjoy the moment. This is our last Champions League game of the season against a big team.