Shakhtar Donetsk head coach Patrick van Leeuwen commented on his team's defeat to Portuguese Porto (1-3) in the match of the 1st round of the Champions League group stage yesterday in Hamburg.
"I think there is a difference between Shakhtar and Porto in quality, experience, but there is always a possibility. I don't think if we didn't make mistakes we wouldn't have conceded, but I think we would have stayed in the game more. My players might have felt more confident in that case. We conceded the first goal, reacted well and equalised, but we still conceded the second one too quickly. We didn't even have time to savour the result of the good work to get back into the game. It was disappointing. Yes, there is a difference in quality.
Sikan's play? He started well, utilising his speed. In the case of the second goal, he made the mistake of thinking he could clear the ball and change the flank, but it was the wrong decision that led to the conceded goal. I don't think there was a need to change him at half-time - we should have given him a chance to improve to see if we could still utilise his speed in any way.
There was a full stadium, so I think it was a good decision for Shakhtar to come here to Hamburg. Many people here show interest in international matches. I am satisfied with the venue and the fact that the fans came. In my opinion, Hamburg is an excellent choice," van Leeuwen said at the post-match press conference.