Oleksandr Pikhalonok: Dynamo should have pressured Shakhtar more in second half

Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Oleksandr Pikhalonok reflected on the goalless draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in the twelfth round of the Ukrainian Premier League. Despite playing with a numerical advantage from the beginning of the second half, the Kyiv side failed to secure a victory in the 'Classic' encounter.

Pikhalonok admitted that the team did not put enough pressure on their opponents when the opportunity arose.

Of course, we wanted to win, especially since we had a numerical advantage from the start of the second half. I believe we didn't push the opponent enough. We needed to shoot at the goal more and cross the ball to keep Shakhtar under pressure, but instead, we gave them a rest. Oleksandr Pikhalonok

The midfielder emphasized that the team remained united throughout the match. He noted that after the disappointment of being knocked out of the Ukrainian Cup and a subsequent win against Kryvbas, the performance against Shakhtar was a solid display.

Pikhalonok also dismissed the idea that Shakhtar's European schedule influenced the result, noting that the hosts had enough time to recover. Dynamo is now preparing for a series of home matches and aims to maximize their points tally.

In the next round, Dynamo will face Obolon in a capital derby.