The draw for the 1/8 finals of the Europa League took place yesterday, according to the results of which "Shakhtar" will meet with "Feyenoord" of the Netherlands. With his opinion about the rival miners from Team 1 shared the former striker of the Donetsk team Oleg Matveev.
Oleg Matveev— Oleg, what do you think about Shakhtar's future opponent in the Europa League?
— Normal draw. You can play and win with Feyenoord. This is not London's Arsenal (smiles). In the current season, the youth of Shakhtar gained experience and sometimes showed mature football.
— Has Shakhtar surprised you in the current European Cup campaign?
— A year ago, when the war started, almost all the legionnaires left, I did not expect much from the Miners, but time has shown that Shakhtar now has a decent team by European standards. I would call the performance of Ihor Jovichevich's wards a pleasant surprise. The boys gave a lot of positive emotions in such a difficult time for the country. I believe this is not yet the maximum.
— Youth is characterized by instability. Will the "miners" primarily have the psychological strength to withstand the pressure in two competitions? In addition to the Europa League, "Shakhtar" still needs to catch up in the UPL "Dnipro-1".
— I think that's enough. The team knows the value of victories. In general, I have the impression that the "miners" play loosely, without focusing on the result, and this is bearing fruit. The squad is complete, the absence of Mykhailo Mudryk was not even affected in the confrontation with Rennes.
— In terms of percentage, who do you prefer against Shakhtar — "Feyenoord"?
— Despite the fact that Feyenoord is currently in the lead in its championship and has not lost 14 matches in a row, I will still give 60 percent to the victory of the Ukrainian team. Currently, the "miners" will play two matches in the championship, gain more conditions. Matches with Rennes showed that Shakhtar did not have a winter break, they moved so well and controlled the ball. Therefore, I believe that everything in our team can work out.
Serhii DEMYANCHUK
