Fonseca: Marlos’ chance was magical

- The game was tactical. Both teams operated well defensively. Had we converted the spot kick, I think the game would’ve been more open. At the same time, probably, both opponents understood that who scored first would win it. We dominated possession more, with the Kyiv team trying to quickly launch counterattacks – we were perfectly in control of that thing. After scoring the goal, Shakhtar played a perfect ending of the match. I think we deserve to live through this moment now. I want to thank everyone, especially the players, because they are the main builders of this victory.

- Congratulations! In Ukraine they say: he just rounded them like on a moped. We’d like to know the brand of Marlos’ moped?
- I’m not really well-versed in motorcycles. However, Marlos deserved this goal. Firstly, because he didn’t convert the spot kick. Secondly, his chance was really magical, being the merit of exceptionally great players. Marlos is really important for Shakhtar. He had many attempts, and he has deserved to go through this fantastic moment.

- Serhii Rebrov said that the referee was supposed to award Srna a second yellow card for fouling on Harmash. Could you comment on it, please.
- You know that I try not to talk about refereeing. I don’t think it will be a sign of good manners to comment on the officiating or the words of another coach. That’s his personal opinion, which I respect.

- Has Viktor Kovalenko fulfilled your game plan in the central midfield role?
- Yes, he has, both Kovalenko and the other players. Shakhtar is assessed as a team. We played the previous match with a completely different line-up, and the team turned in some good performance. If the guys respect and understand our playing style and if they follow it, I can only thank them and rejoice for them.

- Do the Pitmen have a regular penalty shooter? Why was it Marlos to have taken the spot kick?
- In general, they awarded numerous penalties. Marlos is one of those who shooting.

- This spring, Dynamo switched to the 3-4-3 formation, trying to adopt Chelsea’s playing model. What exact things did you pay attention to when preparing for the match? What worked best?
- We always try to learn about the opponents as much as possible. We respect Dynamo very much – they are a great team. Right, they currently use a different formation. I want to say it’s not easy to play against the opponents with such tactical approach. But also, this formation of the opponents allows us to have the ball for longer periods. Kyiv sealed off midfield for us, with us more often having to play through the wings. We were opposed by an organised team, whose defence is always difficult to rip open. If you analyse our recent two matches, you will notice that Shakhtar and Dynamo haven’t had numerous chances. Both teams are perfectly prepared for that.

- That is, everything was decided solely due to individual brilliance within one scoring chance?
- Right. In such encounters, with nearly no open spaces, individual performance is really crucial. Look how Dynamo managed to cause us the greatest danger? Only through Yarmolenko’s performance. In such balanced matches, individual qualities influence many things.

- Usually, after missing a spot kick, the team get a little upset and lose pace. What did you say to your players during the break, why did they get off to a very brisk start and manage to convert their advantage?
- I have the players with character. They try not to react to such things. After the missed penalty kick, the Pitmen equally tried to dominate the first half. At some points, we had the ball for 65 percent of the time. Therefore, I can say that Shakhtar reacted well to that episode. Again, the guys have a great character, they are able to cope with such situations, and today's match was no exception.