Mateo, congratulations on the win, how pleased are you with your performance and the result?
It was a tough match, but the most important thing is that we won and progressed. Dynamo are a good team and it’s always difficult to play against them. There were more chances to score in the first half, and we managed to score twice. Although the end of the match was tenser than the first half, we defended well and did not allow them any chances at our end. The most important thing is that we won. Now we need to rest and go forward.
Dynamo have won the previous two encounters between the teams before today, was that discussed in the locker room?
Of course, we knew that recent matches with them were not successful, plus a year ago they knocked us out of the Cup in a home game on penalties. So we got some revenge, but it’s very important to remain focused on the upcoming league matches, and the Cup games of course.
Zenit played a full strength team in this Russian Cup game. Did this surprise you?
No, the manager selects the starting lineup and our job is to go out there and make the fans happy, and I think we did that today. Thank you very much to everyone who came to the stadium to support us. The win was for you.
What are your plans for the international break?
The most difficult part of the season is ahead, so I want to have a rest, recharge my batteries and spend time with my family.”
