CSKA midfielder Ivan Oblyakov shared his thoughts with “Match TV” after the match against “Zenit.” This was reported by Euro-football.ru.
The match ended in a 1:1 draw. According to Oblyakov, both teams had almost equal opportunities during the game.
He believes the score could have been 3:3, as the opponent created more dangerous situations in the second half. Notably, Krugovoy's one-on-one situation and Sasha Sobolev's dangerous chance were mentioned.
Oblyakov emphasized that in that situation, Krugovoy wanted to pass the ball to an open space instead of shooting immediately. When asked about the foul committed against Krugovoy, Oblyakov stated that he considers it a foul from a fair play perspective, but he cannot give a definitive opinion since the situation happened quickly.
According to him, the opposing player might have left his foot behind, but he is not sure about the exact actions in that situation. The initial plan created by coach Chelestini was also discussed.
Oblyakov noted that the coach demanded the players to play without fear, to be active and brave, and to act confidently even if mistakes were made. Controlling the ball and showing beautiful play were the main tasks.
He considers the goal to be the result of a team effort. Comparing the current playing style with the scheme from Nikolich's era, Oblyakov mentioned that more players are participating on the wings now, and there is less need to run to the sidelines, as they mainly operate in the center of the field.
He believes there are challenges in this style as well, but there was a similar load in European games too.
