Former Shakhtar Donetsk striker Andriy Vorobey has revealed what he expects from his former team's match against Belgian side Antwerp in the Champions League group stage matchday 5 to be played in Hamburg today.
- Andrii, the bookmakers have Shakhtar as a slight favourite. Do you agree with this opinion?
- According to the statistics, I agree, but not according to Shakhtar's game today. "Antwerp has now improved its position in the Belgian league, while Shakhtar has lost a little bit of momentum in the UPL. I think the chances in this game are 50-50.
- How do you like Shakhtar's performance under Pushic? Can you already see the Bosnian's handwriting?
- It's too early to say, but I don't see any pattern yet. It will be possible to draw conclusions next year.
- After Barcelona's win, Shakhtar lost to Dnipro-1 and drew with Polissya. Is the team in crisis?
- It's not a crisis. Most likely, Shakhtar's players thought they had won before the game, and this played a cruel joke on them. The Ukrainian league is very unpredictable at the moment, any team can take points away. Probably, in the matches against Dnipro-1 and Polissia, Shakhtar relaxed somewhere.
- Konoplya will not play against Antwerp. Is it a big loss for Shakhtar?
- In the last match for the Ukrainian national team, Konoplya did not have a great game. I believe that Gocholeishvili will replace him well. Konoplya is not a significant loss for Shakhtar, but he is gradually getting stronger and becoming a leading player in the Donetsk team.
- From which Shakhtar players do you expect a bright performance in the match against Antwerp?
- First of all, I want the whole team to shine and have synchronised actions both in defence and attack. Right now, Shakhtar's leader is Sudakov, who works hard for all 90 minutes. Many players say in interviews that they will show their Shakhtar character, but, to be honest, few of them do. Only the old men - Stepanenko, Rakitskiy, and the same Sudakov - show it.
- Who disappoints you in the current Shakhtar team and from whom do you expect more progress?
- I would like to see more successful actions from Zubkov. He is active, but he does not do much in the final phase. I would like to see more from Kryskiv, he is a dark horse for me, just like Shved. I need him to bring more value to the team. Matvienko has seen a slight decline, he needs to regain his confidence. And in the goal, I want there to be no panic and we defend to zero.
- In the first match against Antwerp, Shakhtar failed in the first half, but completely outplayed the opposition in the second. How do you think this match will develop?
- Shakhtar will try to control the game. I think the Donetsk team will try to lure opponents into their half of the pitch as much as possible and launch quick attacks with split passes. But Antwerp is on a good run, so it will be difficult.
- What is your prediction for the match?
- After the victory over Barcelona, Shakhtar simply must not throw their faces in the mud. Only a victory will suit us. I even agree to a bad game, as long as we get three points. My prediction is 2-1 in favour of Shakhtar.
- Shakhtar are three points behind Barcelona and Porto. Do you believe that the Miners will be able to compete for the Champions League play-offs?
- Football is an unpredictable sport where a weak opponent can beat a stronger one. Because of the war, we have a different situation with Porto and Barcelona, Shakhtar are struggling because of the constant travelling, and have little energy left to recover. But the standings are provoking Shakhtar: why not make a miracle happen?
I hope that after the game with Antwerp we will have a chance to continue our fight in the Champions League and everything will be decided in a head-to-head match with Porto. If we beat Antwerp, why not beat Porto away from home? Anything can happen in football.
Andrii Piskun