Alexander Katasonov: "We were practically in no way inferior to the reigning champion"

— After the match with CSKA, you said that the game did not work out for the team leaders. Was there the same problem in the game with Zenit?

— No, the girls were great in this match, the game was developing and did not involve such a quick missed ball. In general, the game was on an equal footing, but now some very offensive balls are flying into our gates, which affect the result.

We can say that immediately after we won back one goal, the defenders made a mistake, which decided the outcome of the match. The situation could have changed radically – we could have drawn and won, because the game was lively from the first minutes both from our side and from the opponent's side. In such episodes, individual skill in both defense and attack is very important.

Here you can only work to level out these errors. It's still our fault, so we're not working on it somewhere.

— Before this match, you got rid of the prefix of the acting head coach. How important is it for you to become the head coach of the team?

— Of course, thanks to the club for the trust! Let's try to justify it. It is clear that we have a difficult calendar, but I think we are on the right track. The girls play completely differently compared to previous matches, it is clear that the team has a character.

Even now, in the match with the reigning champion, we were practically in no way inferior to him.

— How satisfied are you with the players who came on as substitutes? You made a triple substitution in the second half at once – not the most common situation in football.

— I can only say words of gratitude to them. Despite the score, they came out and played well, strengthened the game.

For full information about the starting lineups and the events of the meeting, see the match center.