Former striker of Shakhtar and the Ukrainian national team Andriy Vorobey praised the match of the fourth round of the Champions League group stage between Shakhtar and Real Madrid, in which the Pitmen missed the victory over the Creamy in stoppage time, highlighting several important moments.
— First, about the Pitmen's starting line-up, in which there was one change compared to the game in Madrid. Lassina Traore entered the field in attack. What do you think of Jovicevic's choice?
— To some extent, it was unexpected. Traore first appeared in the fall in the main lineup. It was clear that he was still not enough for all 90 minutes of the match. But, at the same time, he was important for the tactics of the game that evening. Traore kept the ball, skillfully playing with the body. He was always waiting for help from midfielders. We know that he lacks speed, but he benefited Shakhtar in the game against Real Madrid.
- How would you rate the final 1:1 in Warsaw?
- If I had been told before the start of the game that Shakhtar would draw against Real Madrid, then I would have been happy. Yes, the Spaniards were lucky at the end of the match. But, in general, Shakhtar deserved to win this meeting. It is possible, without a doubt, to add this meeting to the asset of the Donetsk team.
— What were the main differences between Shakhtar's performance in Madrid and Warsaw?
- At home, Ancelotti's wards looked very powerful. Now the Italian coach of Real Madrid has made a certain rotation in his starting lineup. We all know that El Clasico - Real Madrid - Barcelona will be held at the Santiago Bernabéu on Sunday. Perhaps this also influenced the match between Shakhtar and Real Madrid. As for the game of the Ukrainian team, our players tried to play combinational football. The miners did not thoughtlessly hit the ball forward. The same Trubin helped the defenders of his team, skillfully playing with his feet. The Shakhtar players tried to act tactically competently and, for the most part, they succeeded.
— The statistics of one of the leaders of Shakhtar Mykhailo Mudrik in this match were not impressive...
— Yes, Mikhail lost a lot of goals, especially in the first half. After the break, he was more noticeable. And he turned on his speed and helped in the defense, which we had not seen before.
- How do you like the game and Zubkov's goal?
- What led to the goal was that there were 3-4 Shakhtar players in the Real penalty area during the flank serve. This is the only way to count on scoring. Sasha ran to the goalkeeper's corner and did everything clearly.
- Two goals against Real Madrid - at home and away - will he remember for the rest of his life?
- Of course. Not every player can score against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Zubkov has already left his history in Shakhtar. Alexander gradually gains his best condition and becomes one of the team leaders.
- Many experts and fans express the opinion that Igor Jovicevich made unsuccessful substitutions. All the players who entered the field weakened Shakhtar's game. How do you like this point of view?
- I wouldn't be so critical. Substitutions were needed, the players of the Donetsk team got tired. Jurasek was not bad in the selection at times. That's why they replaced Mudrik - I don't understand. With his speed, he could run away from the opponent's defenders. Taylor would have been better off replacing Konoplya than Zubkov. Moreover, Konoplya already had a yellow card in the passive. But you know that the coaching staff knows better, they know the slightest nuances.
- There are many questions about Rudiger's goal. Already in stoppage time, his countryman Kroos literally shouted to his defender to go forward. Once he shot past the goal, but the second time he did not forgive our team...
— Yes, for the last 10 minutes of the match, Rudiger played in attack. It was necessary to play closely with him in the penalty area, probably Stepanenko should have done it. He is also a physically powerful player. Somewhere, the fatigue of our players did not allow them to play tightly with Rudiger.
- But even Bondarenko, standing next to Cross on the flank, did not prevent him from making a targeted pass to the penalty area. So right?
- The guys left a lot of strength on the football field. They just couldn't keep up with the Real Madrid players. We saw Ancelotti throw in five new players off the bench. Yes, Artyom should have played harder with the German. Because of such trifles, the final picture was formed. I will not blame anyone from the Ukrainian team, everyone tried and wanted to win.
- If Trubin plays well, everyone will remember his mistake at the 95th minute of the match. What did our goalkeeper do wrong?
- Anatoly was good both in Madrid and in Warsaw. Yes, on the way out he made a fatal mistake. If Matvienko played with Benzema, then Bondar should have played with Rüdiger. And both Modric and Kroos can make a transfer there. All mistakes are immediately punished in the Champions League. I believe that Trubin needs to show more emotions during the games. He is silent all the time. You need to lead, tell the guys. So far, Trubin does not have leadership qualities, but he will come, all with time. The experience of playing in the Champions League will help him.
— We remember that in the game between Shakhtar and Celtic, a player from the Scottish team could score a goal against the Pitmen in stoppage time in a similar situation...
- Yes, Anatoly's game at the exits is not perfect yet. He was forgiven with Celtic. In the 85th minute, Vinicius could also score from the goalkeeper's line. He needs confidence, then the defenders will be calmer.
- Do you agree with UEFA's opinion that the MVP of the match is Artem Bondarenko?
- I agree. Here I would mention three midfield players - Stepanenko, Sudakov and Bondarenko. All of them tried to go on the attack through the pass. It happened that they had the ball for 1-2 minutes and the opponent could not pick it up. Bondarenko played a good game, the only thing is that he needs to play more forward, not be afraid to take the initiative. We see that Shakhtar has gathered promising young people.
- What can Donetsk Shakhtar expect in the current Champions League?
- To leave the group. Nobody thought about this before the first match. At least to catch on to the Europa League, such were the thoughts of many football fans in Ukraine. Everything is real. We need to score points in the next game in Glasgow.
- Will Real Madrid, which reached the 1/8 finals, be motivated in Leipzig?
- I think Ancelotti will again rotate in his roster. Real Madrid will now have two games a week. But the substitute players of the Madrid team can beat any opponent.
- Do you know that the 1:1 draw was the first draw in the confrontation between Shakhtar and Real Madrid?
- Yes. Previously, the Spaniards got 5 victories and 2 victories were in the asset of the Donetsk team. Later, on Wikipedia, everyone will look at the score and think that there was an even game. But we know that Shakhtar missed the victory over the Royal Club.