Babich: "Kharkiv" deserved at least a draw in the match against "Shakhtar"

Yesterday, August 17, the third round of the Ukrainian Premier League ended with the match "Polissya" - "Zorya", the results of which were exclusively summed up for the Sport.ua website by the famous coach, expert Oleksandr Babych.

- Oleksandr Oleksandrovych, did the central match of the round "Kharkiv" - "Shakhtar" meet expectations?

- In terms of intrigue, tension until the last minutes - it met expectations. In terms of goal moments near both goals - it met expectations. It only did not meet expectations in terms of implementation. And the post-match skirmishes became the highlight (smiles).

- It is extremely rare for an opponent to interrupt "Shakhtar". Did Kharkiv deserve more than a minimal defeat?

- "Kharkiv" had at least three most realistic opportunities to score a goal. In the disallowed goal, Itodo reacted incorrectly, or rather, if he had not touched the ball, everything would have worked out best for the hosts. However, I believe that Mladen Bartulovich's wards deserved at least a draw.

- Why didn't Shakhtar look as convincing as they often do in the championship?

- Because "Kharkiv" did not allow them to do so. Moreover, judging by everything, and as Arda Turan stated, "miners" are still gaining their best form to peak for the start of the Champions League group stage. But the fact remains: in the last match, the players of Shakhtar lacked reliability in ball handling, primarily.

- "Dynamo", although with difficulty, won a second victory in a row. Was everything business in the match against "Kolos"?

- The game was on thin ice here. But after being eliminated from European competitions, it was not easy for Kyivans in moral terms. Although I thought that "Kolos" would play more aggressively, with high pressing. After all, the team conceded last round, and they had plenty of time to prepare for this confrontation. As for Dynamo players, after scoring a goal, they immediately conceded, which indicates that the "blue and white" team still lacks reliability in defensive actions, both as a team and individually. In the next rounds, opponents' coaches will tune their players to shoot at Dynamo's goal as often as possible, as the young goalkeeper often makes mistakes.

- However, will Kyivans improve?

- In this situation, it is important for Dynamo to add psychologically. The team has talented players, but today they seem somewhat doomed. It seems that the players lack football aggression. Ponomarenko scored a goal, but he missed two more real opportunities. A top striker should have higher implementation. So there is work to be done.

- Are you surprised by Karpaty's first place?

- Before the championship, I did not think that Lviv residents would top the standings after three rounds. However, Fran Fernandez's wards played with good aggression, tactically correctly, and, most importantly, the team acted non-standardly, so they deservedly lead the pack. However, Karpaty had problems that Bukovyna somehow did not take advantage of.

- What do you mean?

- The young goalkeeper made mistakes more than once, and Lviv residents acted adventurously in defense - there were big gaps, they played in zones, no one acted individually against the player.

- Can Karpaty continue in the same spirit, or is it too early to talk about it?

- The answer to this question will be given by matches against opponents who are fighting for high places. These are primarily matches against Shakhtar, Dynamo, Polissya, Kharkiv.

- There was a sensation of the round in Zhytomyr. Why did Polissya lose, or did Zorya win?

- I think Polissya lost after all. Ruslan Rotan's wards controlled the ball, the team did not deviate from its style of play. But Zorya endured, the Luhansk team created several moments, but regrouped and managed to turn the course of the match. The foundation is a reliable defense, especially the goalkeeper. Polissya concedes in every match this season. This is their main problem now. The team plays well in the opponent's half, but has problems during transitional phases from attack to defense, as demonstrated, for example, in matches against Copenhagen in the Conference League.

- Can this result indicate more serious ambitions of Zorya than the constant struggle for a place in the top 8?

- The composition of the Luhansk team is experienced and cohesive, so in the current championship, I think the team can fight for a place in the top five. It remains only to add stability. Such matches should not be given away, as with Krivbas.

- And Polissya?

- With such catastrophic mistakes in defense, it will be difficult for the team to fulfill the task set by the club president.

- Do you mean the championship?

- Yes. But even second place would be a step forward for Zhytomyr residents. We will see the ambitions of Polissya in the next round when Ruslan Rotan's team plays against the champion Shakhtar. I think it will be an intriguing match.