Mykhaylychenko marvels at Dynamo dominance

FC Dynamo Kyiv coach Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko was understandably delighted with his side's 2-0 win over Dutch side Feyenoord at the Olympiyskyi stadium, a result which leaves the Ukrainian side in a healthy position in UEFA Champions League Group E.

'Forced to defend'
However, Mykhaylychenko admitted he was surprised at the ease with which his side were allowed to seize control of the match. He said: "The match was not as difficult as we had anticipated, surprisingly. We did not allow Feyenoord, who came here looking to win, to attack - we forced them on to the defensive, which speaks volumes for the way we played tonight."

'No mistakes'
The Dynamo coach went on to praise the way his side defended, saying: "We were very cautious tonight, and made absolutely no mistakes in defence. The course of the game was changed after we took an early lead, when Aliksandr Khatskevich drove the ball into the net following a corner. Throughout the whole match, our forwards were faster and more dynamic, and we took our chances well."

'It's up to us'
Mykhaylichenko was also optimistic about his team's chances of reaching the second group stage. Dynamo currently lie in second place in the group, level with leaders Juventus FC on seven points, two points ahead of tonight’s opponents and four ahead of Newcastle United FC, who beat Juve 1-0, with two games remaining. He added: "Obviously, I am pleased with tonight's result, particularly as now everything depends on ourselves."

'Easy win'
Dynamo captain Valentin Belkevich, who scored his side’s decisive second goal when he side-footed Maksim Shatskikh's pass into the net two minutes into the second half, echoed his coach's view of the match. "We have rarely won a Champions League game more easily," he said. "Feyenoord did not play as well as they can, but the 2-0 scoreline did not reflect our superiority tonight. Next week, we visit Newcastle, which will be tough, and we must focus on that now."

'No chance tonight'
In contrast to Dynamo’s delight, Feyenoord coach Bert van Marwijk cut a disappointed figure, although he sportingly congratulated the opposition. "Dynamo played very well, and they were very disciplined and competent. They did not really give us much of a chance to get into the game."

'No time'
Van Marwijk continued: "Tonight, we did not have enough time on the ball. Dynamo always seemed to be able to find space in which to attack, but none of my players enjoyed that luxury. We knew what to expect before tonight's game, and we attempted to counter Dynamo's style of play, but we were not able to do that."

Qualification still possible
Despite the setback, Van Marwijk believes his side, who have slipped to third place following this defeat, still have a chance of qualifying from the group. "Of course I am disappointed with the result here," he said. "However, I believe that all is not yet lost for us - there is still hope for us in this competition."