The game turned out to be good
Saturday, July 20, 2019
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Shakhtar midfielder Oleksandr Pikhalyonok reflects on the friendly vs Kolos and his readiness for the season
- Oleksandr, the preparation for the season is coming to a close. Was the match against Kolos a major rehearsal?
- The game turned out to be good both for us and for Kolos. They are a really organized team, it wasn’t easy to play against them. It was hard to crack their defence but we operated well by scoring two goals and managing to win.
- Luis Castro said he was more happy with the second half. Do you agree?
- Yes, the coach made some changes at half-time, and we started playing better in the second half: there was more ball control, we created many chances.
- Kolos are about to make their UPL debut. What are your impressions of the newcomers’ performance?
- A good team, the disciplined one. I think that in the Premier League, they won’t get lost and will compete for one of the top six spots.
- You are on Shakhtar’s player list for the season. How is your adaptation going?
- I feel much more confident now, gradually improving my teamwork skills, it’s easier for us to find mutual understanding on the pitch now. Most importantly, I should use all that in competitive games.
- On July 28, Shakhtar will have a Ukrainian Super Cup tie against Dynamo. Are you ready for the season start?
- Today, we are going to hold the last test game against Olimpik, and next week we will fully focus on the Super Cup decider. I’m sure that we will approach this encounter and the season start in good form.
- The game turned out to be good both for us and for Kolos. They are a really organized team, it wasn’t easy to play against them. It was hard to crack their defence but we operated well by scoring two goals and managing to win.
- Luis Castro said he was more happy with the second half. Do you agree?
- Yes, the coach made some changes at half-time, and we started playing better in the second half: there was more ball control, we created many chances.
- Kolos are about to make their UPL debut. What are your impressions of the newcomers’ performance?
- A good team, the disciplined one. I think that in the Premier League, they won’t get lost and will compete for one of the top six spots.
- You are on Shakhtar’s player list for the season. How is your adaptation going?
- I feel much more confident now, gradually improving my teamwork skills, it’s easier for us to find mutual understanding on the pitch now. Most importantly, I should use all that in competitive games.
- On July 28, Shakhtar will have a Ukrainian Super Cup tie against Dynamo. Are you ready for the season start?
- Today, we are going to hold the last test game against Olimpik, and next week we will fully focus on the Super Cup decider. I’m sure that we will approach this encounter and the season start in good form.