Sergei Semak: “The score was not predictable”

The Zenit manager shared his thoughts on the big win over Orenburg.

Sergei Semak: “The score was not predictable”

“It was a great performance from our team. We played attacking football from the start and had the chance to score many goals. Before this match our accuracy hasn't been at its best, even though we were creating many goal scoring chances in previous games. Today we were able to score a lot, but either way, a win is a win and you get three points, it’s not about how many goals you score. Today we want to congratulate the fans and the players on the win, and tomorrow we will start getting ready for the next match. We have a tight schedule, and we’re going to keep working.”

Were you expecting that theoretically the score could be 8-0, and how did you expect Orenburg to play? Were you getting ready for them to play defensively?

“No, we were certain that Orenburg would play active attacking football since every match they've had they try to play an attacking style. We created a lot of chances, Regarding the balance or playing in defence, there are some possibilities for the other teams to play in attack, and today a lot of things went well for us. I think the game was expected to be this way, but the score was not predictable.”

You’ve already said that Zenit have a tight fixture list. Is there any information on who is not going to fly to Samara for the Cup match?

“Right now there’s no information. Tomorrow we’ll view and analyze everything to make the decision if everyone will fly to Samara or not. We’ll also see who is going to play and for how long.”

How is Odoevskiy doing, and is there any clearance on why he has had so many small injuries lately?

“Now it’s not exactly an injury, he has a small muscle inflammation. I guess it’s because he’s not training consistently. He missed some time, then started training, but a few things still bother him, so he needs some time to be fully back. Thankfully there’s nothing serious, so we expect him to join the team soon, and he’ll start training and getting ready.”