Former Shakhtar Donetsk player Oleksandr Sopko analysed yesterday's match between his former team and Spanish Barcelona (1-2) in the 3rd round of the Champions League group stage.
Oleksandr Sopko- I don't have a mental high after this match - everything is predictable, - said Sopko . - There was no miracle , and all Shakhtar's sore spots were visible at this stage, so the coach has a lot of work to do.... Of course, there have been times when the Pitmen lost to Barcelona with a bigger score, and our team was stronger then. However, today's victory was so easy for Barcelona that it is hard to even compare it with.
The Catalans are already preparing for the classico - for the match with Real Madrid, and to lose to Barcelona like that - it disappointed me. Although, why be surprised? The gap between Shakhtar and Barcelona literally does not change in everything, no matter what. And it is even growing - in the Pitmen's ability to play one-on-one. And this is a basic element at the highest level.
- What do you think about the goals conceded by Shakhtar?
- These goals are an illustration of what I was talking about. In the first case, Bondarenko did not play to the end, allowing Ferran to break away. In addition, Azarov was in the role of a fan in this episode - he stood and watched. With such an attitude to the game, with the inability to act one-on-one, with the lack of insurance will be a disaster. The coach will have to change the attitude of Shakhtar players to the game in defence.
- After the break, did Barcelona reduce the pace?
- Even taking into account the fact that Barcelona played the second half at a minimum, Shakhtar made so many mistakes that it was impossible to achieve something, and to progress in general. It would seem that the scoreline is not so sad, and the Pitmen had their chances, and Shakhtar's statistics will probably not be so depressing, but the game still desires better. Shakhtar's current state is not momentary, but systemic - it is a crisis. The team needs to wake up.
Yes, Barcelona, leading 2-0, have really slowed down, because they have been playing with the same squad for many matches. Xavi's men have had enough of football, and this evening they were playing until the final whistle. If necessary, they would have added to the game, and as soon as it happened occasionally, Shakhtar's defence started to panic. Undoubtedly, the Pitmen cheered up in the second half, but the game was led by Barcelona.
- The Pitmen's new coach Pusic was on the bench. Did he already determine the team's game?
- Puszic started to work - that's what he should do. Why should he put something off and take a long look? Especially since a game like the one with Barcelona is very useful in terms of information. I think that Pušić understood that he needed to be active, to try to encourage the players after the break. This is his professional behaviour. He got used to it in the Dutch championship.
- Sudakov, whose game is under special attention now, scored against Barcelona....
- He is not afraid to take the game on himself, but he is also influenced by the actions of his teammates. Circumstances force Sudakov to pull the blanket on himself, to invent something. However, the marriage in his actions upset me. Sudakov is watched, his every move is analysed, and they see that somewhere he didn't run, somewhere he didn't finish, and so on. He urgently needs to get rid of this defect, be more reliable in the team play, and take an example from Xavi, who was the benchmark.
- What can Shakhtar expect in this Champions League group?
- The main game will be with Antwerp, who are on the same level as Shakhtar. Then the Pitmen definitely need to avoid making ridiculous mistakes. However, the Pitmen will also have a certain chance in the home meeting with Barcelona. The Catalans have quite a lot of people in the infirmary this season, plus a heavy playing schedule, plus the presence of many national teams in the squad. That's why I think it's possible to catch Barcelona on fatigue, on relaxation. However, we need to be on the level - that's the main thing.
Oleg Semenchenko
