Shakhtar Donetsk will start in the group round of the Champions League of the 2022/23 season. The opponent of the "miners" will be the German "Leipzig". Andriy Vorobey, a former striker of Shakhtar and the national team of Ukraine, spoke about the prospects of the Donetsk team in this match and the tournament in general.
— Andriy, should we expect a miracle from Shakhtar in the current Champions League?
— In my opinion, no. But if it happens, it will only be a plus for the team and the club. Considering the fact that there is a war in Ukraine and how Ukrainian teams approached the European Cups, it is difficult to count on success.
— But in any case, you have to fight. What can the Miners do against Leipzig?
— It is difficult to say something about Shakhtar now. The team is young, inexperienced. Yes, there have been acquisitions recently, but it's not worth waiting for some super game. Time is needed, and, unfortunately, there is a catastrophic lack of it.
Of course, if you look at the surnames, Shakhtar has performers with a lot of experience behind them. This is the same Mykola Matvienko, Serhiy Kryvtsov, Taras Stepanenko, Oleksandr Zubkov, Ivan Petryak.
And there are young people who are very raw... However, one would like to hope that in their first match in the Champions League, the Miners will not get into a puddle.
— Will a lot depend on the starting minutes?
- "Leipzig" is a good level team. But the German team had a bad start to the new season. They have only one win in five Bundesliga matches. This can play into the hands of Ihor Jovichevich's wards.
Of course, in terms of their level, our championships have nothing to compare, but Shakhtar still has a chance for a positive result. It is important that all the stars in the sky align (smiles).
— Shakhtar will focus on defense?
— This will be a mistake, because there are many questions regarding the defense of the Miners, even though they have not yet conceded in the championship of Ukraine.
But domestic competitions are one thing and the Champions League is quite another. In my opinion, the people of Donetsk should try to play their football, but the leaders of the team should show their best qualities here.
— What will be your prediction for this match?
— It is still difficult for me to guess how everything will develop. Of course, before any game, you always want to believe in victory. But if you look at things realistically, a draw in Germany would also be a great result for the young Ukrainian team.
Andrii Pyatnytskyi