Sometimes you have games when the ball just won’t go in
Saturday, October 24, 2026
|
Shakhtar defender Oleksandr Karavaiev shared his thoughts on the UPL match against Zorya
– How was the game? Did the score reflect how difficult it was?
– Everyone saw what happened. Sometimes you have games when the ball just won’t go in: I hit the crossbar and a lot of our footballers missed from good positions. Zorya defended very well and broke forward on the counter-attack – that’s what we expected, but sometimes you just have days when nothing goes your way. We also played very poorly in the first half. We came out much better after the break and created plenty of chances, but… We need to forget this game now and prepare for the next ones because we have a very busy schedule, playing every two or three days, so there’s no time to dwell on dropping points; we have to keep preparing for the games ahead.
– You’d agree that Shakhtar stepped it up after the break. Why was the first half, you could say, so lacklustre? Was it the schedule, squad rotation?
– You could put it down to a combination of all those factors, but that’s no excuse. We must always play our own game, and today we strayed from our principles in some areas. A lot of things weren’t working for us, especially in the first half. At half-time, the coaching staff highlighted what we needed to improve. We also brought on some substitutes, and our performance improved a little. However, we couldn’t find the net. It is what it is. We move on.
– What’s your take on the two first-half incidents when you made good runs forward, but Traore shot instead of playing the ball out to you on the wing?
– It’s easier to see things from above or from the stands because you can see the whole picture, whereas on the pitch you might not have such a clear view of everything. I think the fact that Traore is a striker who wanted to score played a part. He hadn’t scored in the league this season and had missed a lot of games through illness. I think he was really keen to get on the scoresheet. It was the same with Luca Meirelles in our last league game – he had plenty of chances. I understand them; they want to score, but you’re right, the team must come first if we’re to get results. Individual achievements take a back seat. That’s how it turned out, and of course I was disappointed because I was in a good position on both occasions and we could have finished the moves differently. I’m sure we’ll analyse this game and the coaching staff will point out our mistakes so that we don’t repeat them.
– And when you nearly found yourself one-on-one after running onto Traore’s through ball in behind, was that a rehearsed move?
– Yes, it was. Well, I wasn’t supposed to be the one in that position, but if either the full-back or a winger finds himself in that area, they should make that run. I happened to be in that position, and we know that Lassina is very good at holding the ball up, so it worked out well.
– Oleksandr, is the next match a special one for you? How are you feeling about it?
– Yes, of course. It’s a derby for me, but now I’m on the other side. That’s football, though, and Dynamo are also a team that always compete for trophies. I know what their objectives are and what stage they’re going through at the moment as I keep in touch with people there. It’s going to be a very tricky game, a really tough match.
– What do you make of Dynamo’s change of manager? Does it give them an emotional advantage?
– I know Maciej very well. When he arrived, he immediately made a positive impression on me, both as a professional and as a person. But that’s not how it works, because I know that coaches most likely prepare for every opponent in a specific way, approaching each game differently and analysing how the opposition play. So it becomes a game of chess or a battle of minds – who can outthink the other tactically. The personal qualities of the players on the pitch then become a secondary factor. We’ll see, it should be very interesting.
– Everyone saw what happened. Sometimes you have games when the ball just won’t go in: I hit the crossbar and a lot of our footballers missed from good positions. Zorya defended very well and broke forward on the counter-attack – that’s what we expected, but sometimes you just have days when nothing goes your way. We also played very poorly in the first half. We came out much better after the break and created plenty of chances, but… We need to forget this game now and prepare for the next ones because we have a very busy schedule, playing every two or three days, so there’s no time to dwell on dropping points; we have to keep preparing for the games ahead.
– You’d agree that Shakhtar stepped it up after the break. Why was the first half, you could say, so lacklustre? Was it the schedule, squad rotation?
– You could put it down to a combination of all those factors, but that’s no excuse. We must always play our own game, and today we strayed from our principles in some areas. A lot of things weren’t working for us, especially in the first half. At half-time, the coaching staff highlighted what we needed to improve. We also brought on some substitutes, and our performance improved a little. However, we couldn’t find the net. It is what it is. We move on.
– What’s your take on the two first-half incidents when you made good runs forward, but Traore shot instead of playing the ball out to you on the wing?
– It’s easier to see things from above or from the stands because you can see the whole picture, whereas on the pitch you might not have such a clear view of everything. I think the fact that Traore is a striker who wanted to score played a part. He hadn’t scored in the league this season and had missed a lot of games through illness. I think he was really keen to get on the scoresheet. It was the same with Luca Meirelles in our last league game – he had plenty of chances. I understand them; they want to score, but you’re right, the team must come first if we’re to get results. Individual achievements take a back seat. That’s how it turned out, and of course I was disappointed because I was in a good position on both occasions and we could have finished the moves differently. I’m sure we’ll analyse this game and the coaching staff will point out our mistakes so that we don’t repeat them.
– And when you nearly found yourself one-on-one after running onto Traore’s through ball in behind, was that a rehearsed move?
– Yes, it was. Well, I wasn’t supposed to be the one in that position, but if either the full-back or a winger finds himself in that area, they should make that run. I happened to be in that position, and we know that Lassina is very good at holding the ball up, so it worked out well.
– Oleksandr, is the next match a special one for you? How are you feeling about it?
– Yes, of course. It’s a derby for me, but now I’m on the other side. That’s football, though, and Dynamo are also a team that always compete for trophies. I know what their objectives are and what stage they’re going through at the moment as I keep in touch with people there. It’s going to be a very tricky game, a really tough match.
– What do you make of Dynamo’s change of manager? Does it give them an emotional advantage?
– I know Maciej very well. When he arrived, he immediately made a positive impression on me, both as a professional and as a person. But that’s not how it works, because I know that coaches most likely prepare for every opponent in a specific way, approaching each game differently and analysing how the opposition play. So it becomes a game of chess or a battle of minds – who can outthink the other tactically. The personal qualities of the players on the pitch then become a secondary factor. We’ll see, it should be very interesting.