Fresh Lokomotiv enjoy Athletic victory

FC Lokomotiv Moskva goalscorers Felipe Caicedo and Denis Glushakov were full of praise for their team's second-half display against Athletic Club. Behind at the interval, Lokomotiv fought back to earn a 2-1 lead heading into next week's UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg, leaving the visitors to rue their inability to build on a promising opening period.

Felipe Caicedo, Lokomotiv forward
I am really pleased with the way we played in the second half, but this tie is not finished as we still have to play the second leg and it's going to be very difficult. Athletic have played a lot of games recently but the fact we were very fresh really helped us. The weather didn't really aid either side, but we just have to enjoy our victory. The fact that we conceded an away goal will make the return leg in Bilbao harder for us. The next game is going to be very tough for us.

Denis Glushakov, Lokomotiv midfielder
We found the going really hard in the first half. We were rusty as we hadn't played a competitive game in a long time; playing friendlies and practising on the training pitch are just not the same. We gave away a soft goal and I really think we should have defended better on that occasion.

In the second half we were a different team and played very well. The equaliser gave us a lot of confidence. We felt we were in the game and had a chance of winning and thankfully we managed to significantly improve our game. Overall, we defended very well and were able to put a lot of pressure on their players.

Iker Muniain, Athletic forward
We played really well in the first half, creating a number of good opportunities. However, in the second half we lost some of the fluidity we had in the first 45 minutes and we were unable to keep control of possession; we gave the ball away too much. Lokomotiv were excellent on the counterattack, and they took full advantage to find a way back into the game. The second half decided the encounter. After the break, we weren't the same side, which is disappointing, but we must not let this get to us.

Fernando Llorente, Athletic forward
I don't think we can be happy with that. We dominated the first half and were in complete control. We attacked well and there was a great understanding among the players, but perhaps we didn't create enough clear chances. I think our final ball let us down at the crucial moment.

The second half was a different story altogether. I don't really know what happened. Maybe Lokomotiv decided to take the game to us and put more pressure on our defence and they spent a lot more time in our final third. We had a lot more problems trying to gain possession in the second 45 minutes. They really gained confidence after they equalised.