Lokomotiv (Novosibirsk) head coach Plamen Konstantinov provided a detailed analysis of the 1:3 defeat to Dynamo (Moscow), emphasizing the fatigue after the battle with Zenit in Kazan, the shaky reception, and the late comeback during the match.

Freshness after Kazan – a decisive factor

According to Konstantinov, his team entered the match in Moscow with a noticeable lack of freshness. While Dynamo had an additional two days for recovery, Lokomotiv was playing on the edge after the tough victory over Zenit.

They looked fresher, especially on serve. We reduced the pressure, while they maintained it almost until the end, assesses the Bulgarian coach.

Serve-reception – the Achilles' heel

Konstantinov firmly believes that precisely the difference in serving and reception tipped the scales.

In Kazan, we were stable in all elements. Here it was the opposite – Dynamo pressured us with their serve, and we couldn't withstand it. This is the main reason for the loss, he states.

The poor reception forced setter Simeon Nikolov to build half the attacks from difficult, uncomfortable balls, which facilitated the Moscow block and defense.

The lost initiative in the second set

The coach emphasized that precisely in the second set the match took a different direction:

At the beginning of the second set, we lost the initiative. The opponent started playing their volleyball, and this moment dragged on.

The series of errors and the poor reception allowed Dynamo to turn the set around and gain a psychological advantage.

Late attempt at a comeback

Although Loko showed character at the end of the fourth set, according to Konstantinov, it was too late to change the outcome.

We started to come back only at the end of the fourth set. It should have happened earlier. We were late with our comeback.

A beneficial defeat and lessons for the future

Despite the disappointment with the result, the Bulgarian specialist sees a positive.

This defeat is beneficial. It clearly shows what we need to work on.

He notes that the Superleague is extremely balanced, with four or five teams at an almost identical level, which makes every match unpredictable.

Conclusion

The defeat in Moscow ended Lokomotiv's streak of eight consecutive victories, but Konstantinov's analysis is clear: the reasons are specific and fixable. And according to him, this is precisely the type of loss that helps the team become stronger in the long season.