28.07.2010UEFA Champions League-2010/11. 3rd qualifying round. First leg.
FC BATE Borisov managed to keep the clean sheet in the first part of the encounter against Danish champions FC Copenhagen. However, the Yellow Blues did not manage to score as well and the game resulted in a goalless draw. The return match in the Danish capital next Wednesday will decide the fate of both teams.
BATE's line up contained one big surprise. Brazilian Renan Bressan, arguably one of the best players in Borisov squad, started the match on the bench, giving place for Alexander Pavlov at the playmakers position.
Both teams did not want to take risks at the beginning of the match. For some time each of the opponents gained possession and controlled the game. Still there were no big chances for both sides. The best were spoiled by Dame N'Doye, who did not manage to drill the ball home after a good pass from the flank and Artsyom Kontsevoy, who missed the target from the penalty box.
The second half was a bit more lively. The ending could have become dramatic for both sides. BATE attacked a lot, but it were the guests who had the best opportunity of the evening, but Zdenek Pospech shot wide after a wonderful four on two counterattack and Alexander Yurevich's mistake. All in all the result can be considered to be fare. The teams that seemed to be equal after the draw proved to be equal in the game.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Stale SOLBAKKEN (FC Copenhagen):
— It is not a great result, but still a satisfactory result for us. I do not think that in Copenhagen the flow of the game will be different. Perhaps we will put more pressure on BATE's defensive line, but we are not going to forget they can counterattack well. I saw their matches in Greece and England last year in the Europa League and know they can be very fast. Today we lacked a good pass and some individual extras of the players. We had a four-on-two opportunity, but did not used it.
Viktor GANCHARENKO (FC BATE Borisov):
— There were a lot of tactical things about the match. We lacked about twelve ours to recover after our match against Dnepr Mogilev. I think we played a good match. But in the beginning we were perhaps too cautious. We did not have quick movement from defence to the attack. That was why we did not have that much good moments. Anyway, a 0:0 draw is the best draw before the return leg in Copenhagen.
I don't think the opponents surprise us. In modern football it is very difficult to do. I also don't think we did surprise the Danish champions.
