Mykhaylychenko looks forward

FC Dynamo Kyiv coach Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko is determined that his side should put the anguish of going out of the UEFA Champions League behind them and set their sights on the UEFA Cup, after their dramatic defeat by Juventus FC on Wednesday.

Looking to the future
"Of course we are very disappointed that we couldn't take second place in the group and reach the next phase of the competition," he said. "It doesn't matter who we face in the UEFA Cup, the main thing is that that tournament represents another chance for us, and we will do our best to make the most of that opportunity."

Early promise
Mykhaylychenko's side needed to beat a second-string Juventus side to guarantee a place in the last 16, and they looked on course to do that when Uzbekistan striker Maksim Shatksikh gave them the lead with a deft chip five minutes after half-time.

Juve leveller
But within three minutes Juve were level, as Marcelo Salas twisted in the box to slot the ball past Vitalii Reva, and seven minutes later Marcelo Zayaleta drilled the ball in at Reva's near-post.

Dynamo problems
"Even though Juventus were missing several players, their team still represents a perfectly working machine, so my team needed to demonstrate all of their quality. Nevertheless, in our team-play we had a lot of problems. We recognise that, and we will try to learn from it," Mykhaylychenko said.

No luck
Dynamo had enough chances to get back into the game, but found Juventus goalkeeper Antonio Chimenti in unbeatable form. "I thought we could reach the next round," said Dynamo sweeper Tiberiu Ghioane. "But we didn't have much luck even though we had several dangerous attacks. Salas and Zayaleta were very difficult to control, so I and my defensive colleagues worked under a lot of pressure. Nevertheless, we should not be ashamed of what we have achieved."

New purpose
The club's president, Ihor Surkis, sounded an equally positive note. "We have suffered an avalanche of traumas at Dynamo in the past six months," he said, "but nevertheless reached the Champions League for a sixth time. Our players gave their all, but couldn't achieve the desired result. We will push for victory in that tournament, and that will give the club a purpose."

Happy Lippi
The victory confirmed Juventus's place at the top of Group E, leaving their coach Marcello Lippi delighted with how what was effectively his reserve side had performed. "As we had already done the job and qualified, I was able to give some players a break," he said. "There is still a long way to go this season, and we will have to play several very important matches in that time.

Fair result
"It would be wrong to judge Juventus on this match, but still I should give credit to Dynamo," added Lippi. "As ever they were a very competent and efficient side and they also showed a great sporting spirit. But my footballers today showed more diligence and a greater desire to win: I think it was a fair result."