Kovačević Praises Player Who Missed Out on a Goal
Dinamo coach Mario Kovačević reflected on the convincing 5:0 victory over Kauno Žalgiris, highlighting the contribution of Dion Drena Beljo and the excellent form of Luka Stojković.
Dinamo coach Mario Kovačević reflected on the convincing 5:0 victory over Kauno Žalgiris, highlighting the contribution of Dion Drena Beljo and the excellent form of Luka Stojković.
After Dinamo dismantled Lithuanian side Kauno Žalgiris 5:0 at Maksimir in the first leg of the Champions League third qualifying round, coach Mario Kovačević did not hide his satisfaction at the press conference. He particularly emphasized the fact that five different players got on the scoresheet, but also singled out an individual who did not find the back of the net.
Although five of his teammates found the net against the Lithuanian club, striker Dion Drena Beljo was not among them. However, Kovačević had only words of praise for his performance. "We scored five goals with five different scorers. Dion Drena Beljo wasn't among the scorers this time, but I definitely have to praise him because he was really good in everything else he did on the pitch," said Kovačević.
The Blues' tactician also commented on the flow of the match itself, admitting that the opening wasn't easy. "We prepared the match well; we knew the opponent would sit in a low block, but it wasn't easy until the first goal. It's not easy when the opponent defends well and in an organized manner; you have to break them down with a shot or a good move. We managed to do that, and we scored another goal very quickly," he explained.
Journalists were also interested in the increasingly impressive form of Luka Stojković, who once again showed why he is a key player in Kovačević's team. The coach unreservedly confirmed his importance. "I've said this many times, even last year when the team was being assembled, when Stojković became the main player, he showed that he makes all of us better," he stated.
Despite the five-goal advantage, Kovačević doesn't want to hear about complacency ahead of the return leg in Lithuania. He stressed that he will continue rotating players, but with a clear intention. "You've seen for yourselves that in these four matches we've given almost all players a chance; they even have similar minutes. We'll continue like that in this busy schedule that lies ahead. But we're going to the return leg in Lithuania seriously, with the desire for another win," he said.
When asked about a potential opponent in the play-off round, Norwegian side Viking, he remained reserved. "I wouldn't talk about Viking now. We want to remain sportsmen to the end; we want to get through the return leg first, and then talk about what follows. Žalgiris is better and more quality on their home turf than they were here," he added.
To conclude, he spoke with great respect about his counterpart on the Kauno Žalgiris bench, Željko Sopić. "We've always been on good terms, from our playing days and, of course, later as colleagues. I respect both him and everything he has done. He gets the maximum out of his teams. They aren't as bad as we were good this evening. I wish colleague Sopić all the best," Kovačević concluded.
