Kurban Berdyev was greeted with applause by Russian journalists in the press room at the Vicente Calderon after a 0-2 victory which he summarized as follows. "It was a really tough match and further complicated by the expulsion of Sharonov. We were playing to get a good result and we did. The tie will be resolved in Russia", said the coach.

After playing with 10 in the second half, Berdyev decided not to make any changes at the break. "We wanted to discipline the squad for the second half. They forced us to play well. I am pleased with the efforts of my players. I wanted to highlight the great work of Rondon who has worked hard. We played a game with a lot of tension that has required great discipline and coordination. It has been hard to play a man down", he said.

Despite leaving the Vicente Calderon stadium with a 2 goal lead, Berdyev did not consider that the tie is over. "Everything will be decided in Russia", concluded the coach of Rubin.