Former striker of Shakhtar Donetsk Andriy Vorobei commented on the victory of his former team over the German RB Leipzig (4:1) in the 1st round of the Champions League group stage.
Andrey Sparrow- Of course, before the starting whistle of the referee, I did not have much optimism. Nobody understood what to expect from Shakhtar. Basically, this is a young team, while it is still unplayed. All this was disquieting.
On the other hand, we were opposed by Leipzig. richest club. Back in May, they played in the semi-finals of the Europa League and won the German Cup. Of course, we all knew that they had problems at the start of the new season in the Bundesliga.
After seeing the match, I will say that I expected more from the German team. It is clear that very serious players are gathered in Leipzig. Football players from all over the world play there, it is a top club by name. Nkunku is a serious master. But, something is happening inside the team now.
— What was the most important thing for Shakhtar in the last game?
- Tolerate. It was necessary to act carefully at every moment. Yes, the hosts were constantly attacking, and the load on our defense was decent. Luck accompanied the Ukrainian team that evening. You know, it often happens that luck comes to those who are more willing to win. I believe that the Donetsk team had more desire to win.
The first and second balls of the Swede were scored in a good scenario for us. And then the German team opened up and it became easier to score in counterattacks. There are fast players in Shakhtar, the same Mudryk, Petryak and several of their attacks were very dangerous. These guys can run away.
I will say that the exit of the Swede was unexpected. He has been on the team for only five days, as he has been. I believe that Igor Jovicevich put guys who have experience of playing in European cups or European championships as the “base”. Zubkov played in Ferencváros in the Champions League, while Shved has already played in the championships of Spain, Scotland and Belgium. Yes, young people represented by Sudakov, Konopoli and Bondarenko are just making their debut in the Champions League and they need experienced players nearby.
- Andriy, do you think that Shved's first goal changed the course of the whole match?
- Such an episode is rare - once in a million. The goalkeeper at this moment closed. What did he want to do? It was evident how the German players were set up - they flew onto the field from the locker room after the break. Soon they evened the score.
But the second goal, I think, finished them off completely. How long has it been since the score was tied? Minute. The Swede shot, then two rebounds and the ball in the Gulachi goal. After that, the Leipzig players were psychologically broken.
- UEFA recognized Marjan Shved as the man of the match. Do you agree with this verdict?
- Probably, yes. Still, he scored two away goals in such an important meeting.
- And how do you like the game of Mikhail Mudrik?
— Not everything is so clear-cut here. On the one hand, he has a goal + two assists. On the other hand, he did not help much when playing defense. Cannabis was often left alone against two rivals. The same Swede was more useful in defense.
- Who, in your opinion, was Shakhtar's best player in this match?
- Usually, fans pay more attention to those who are ahead, who score. They look less at defense. But in Leipzig, Matvienko, Taylor, and Stepanenko played great. These players need to be commended.
- Of course. Out of 12 shots on Shakhtar's goal, only two hit Trubin's goal...
- That's what I'm talking about. In the first half, Nkunku had a good moment, and in the second half there was already a solid pile, many standards at the Pitmen's goal.
- It is quite rare to see major victories of Ukrainian teams in the group stage of the Champions League. Shakhtar is not PSG or Manchester City. The last one was dated 2015, when they defeated Malmö - 4:0. Surprised by this score?
- Of course. We achieve big victories on big holidays. The more pleasant it is.
- In the last game, Shakhtar players made 4 shots on target and scored 4 goals. Where does this implementation come from?
— Yes, there was little sharpness at the Gulachi gate. And the Donetsk team deserved their goals with their attitude and good luck.
- Will such a victory give strength and confidence to our players?
- Undoubtedly. It's always nice to start with a win. And they scored points, and earned almost 3 million euros for the victory. Yes, and in the table of coefficients we need to improve our indicators. But, ahead of the Celtic. This is a very strong opponent. Celtic are the champions of Scotland, who simply tear everyone apart in their championship. And with Leipzig, in the return game, it will be much more difficult. Euphoria must be put aside. But, today, Shakhtar players have accomplished a feat.
There is no need to look at the tournament table at all now. It's too early to draw conclusions. So far we haven't achieved anything. Only after 3-4 rounds can any conclusions be drawn. The only thing I am glad is that now mostly Ukrainian players play in the Shakhtar squad. And many of them are pupils of the Shakhtar Academy. But, without high-quality legionnaires, you will not achieve success in the Champions League.
