“Shaparenko, Mikolenko, Zabarny are progressing under Lucescu”

Former Ukraine national team captain Yuri Shelepnitsky he appreciated the actions of the Dynamo players in the Champions League qualifying match against AZ Alkmaar (2: 0).

“The main thing for defenders is not to get lost, and if the Dynamo kept their doors untouchable, then Vitaly Mykolenko and Ilya Zabarny already deserve high marks. We must pay tribute to the helmsman of Kiev, Mircea Lucescu, who is not afraid to trust young people and justifies hopes. After all, the new plug duo Mikolenko – Zabarny, thanks to a skillful safety net, only once allowed the rivals to dangerously break through from the central defense zone, it is also important that they won almost all the equestrian duels .

I also drew attention to the fact that Mikolenko and Zabarny had a good command of the first pass, and especially in the second half it was a formidable weapon when the owners organized strong counterattacks. Although, in my opinion, Mikolenko is still more effective as a left back, he showed that, if necessary for the team, he can play reliably in the center of defense.

However, Nikolai Shaparenko’s progress under Lucescu is more tangible. If he was focused on the attack before, now he still manages to help Sergei Sidorchuk in the support zone. Recently, Shaparenko was often criticized for his inability to act in the national team, but now he has also added this component.

I think this is a consequence of the individual conversations and lessons between Mircea Lucescu and Shaparenko. Now the player knows clearly what the mentor wants from him, what vulnerabilities need to be removed. In my opinion, Lucescu, who has proven to be a brilliant tactician and strategist, is a great credit in the victory over AZ ”.