Following the Pakhtakor vs. Neftchi (2:1) match in the 21st round of the Super League, the visitors' head coach, Vitaliy Levchenko, answered journalists' questions at a press conference. He first congratulated the opponent on the victory:
- I congratulate "Pakhtakor" on their victory. They played well, and by teamwork, they managed to keep the score," Levchenko said.
The coach was also asked about the traditional 3-5-2 scheme. At the same time, a question was raised about whether Pakhtakor could increase the number of strikers after a one-man deficit. Levchenko replied:
- If we had opened up more, the opponent's counterattacks would have been more dangerous. They have skilled players in their squad, we took this into account. Football is a game of people. In some situations, someone might miss the ball. The negative result is also a kind of conclusion.
The coach also commented on the players of the Pakhtakor national team:
- There were 10 players in the Pakhtakor team, and we had 7 players in the national team. Therefore, today the physical qualities of the two teams were almost equal. However, Pakhtakor's players won the individual battles.
At the meeting, the hosts said that they used a trick to pass the time when there was a one-man deficit:
- This is common in football. If "Neftchi" had one man left, they could have acted the same way. At the end of regular time, the referee gave very few extra minutes.
Journalists asked questions about the actions of some players on the field. Levchenko replied:
- In football, there are "star" players and "star" teams. In most cases, "star" players make little effort to run on the field. Such people should be in reserve. For example, if there is no Kojo, then instead of him there is Nimeli.
Speaking about Neftchi's upcoming schedule, the coach said the following about preparations for matches against difficult opponents:
- Only through labor and sacrifice. Now the era of playing football without running is over. If a player has no desire, there will be no result.
Levchenko eventually admitted:
- When you are defeated, something is always missing. Football is full of mistakes. The team that makes fewer mistakes wins. Therefore, I congratulate Pakhtakor on their victory.
Thus, after the match, the Neftchi coach critically assessed his team and acknowledged the opponent's strengths. In his opinion, Pakhtakor's victory is the result of defensive discipline and a fight to the end.
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