Svensson: We should be grateful Polissya didn't score more

FC Copenhagen head coach Bo Svensson reflected on his side's 3-3 draw against Polissya in the first leg of the Conference League second qualifying round. As the Danish manager admitted, the match turned out exactly as tough as expected. The Ukrainian side caused plenty of problems and fully deserved to level the score. Svensson emphasized that his players should be thankful the opposition failed to convert several excellent chances. "Under the circumstances, I can't blame the lads — they gave everything and showed great fighting spirit. But we conceded too often, especially in the first half, until we changed the formation. We switched to a back five more out of necessity than choice because we're short on wingers right now. Mustafa made his debut at right-back, and it was a tough ask, but he did well under the circumstances, just as he had in the friendlies," Svensson said. He described the 3-3 scoreline as a solid starting point ahead of the return leg at home, where Copenhagen will welcome back several injured players. "The most important thing is to advance, and we still have a very good chance," he added. The coach also praised the Copenhagen supporters for displaying a banner in support of Ukraine. "That was a powerful statement. The fans deserve our gratitude — for that gesture and for the backing they gave us tonight."