Shakhtar Donetsk head coach Marino Pušić has revealed what he expects from his side's match against Portuguese side Porto in the 6th round of the Champions League group stage, which will take place in Porto today.
Marino Pušić"What plan? It is not the only one, we have many. I was not present during Shakhtar's first match with Porto, but I saw that game, as well as many other matches that the Portuguese team has played over the past two months. Of course, there are changes: we are different now, but Porto has also changed in a certain sense, this team is also improving its technique. Therefore, it will be a very interesting match between two teams that are difficult to beat, and I hope the audience will enjoy it.
Both teams, especially us, have changed over the past two months. The opponent is also improving their technique, which they showed in the away match against Barcelona, where they played very well, so it will be a very interesting confrontation between two teams that will meet in a kind of final, and both want to win and move on to the next round of the Champions League.
We have achieved our main goal of staying in the European competitions, which is great. At the same time, Shakhtar is a very ambitious team that wants to achieve even more. So we will fight for it tomorrow. We have big ambitions. If you are so close to the highest level, you have to do your best to get there. It is good that we will continue to play in Europe, but we want more and we will play to get it. There is no doubt about that. We have ambitions, and tomorrow I want to see those ambitions on the pitch.
As I said, Porto is a very good team and it is not for nothing that they are playing at this stage after all these years, they are very stable, they are hard to beat, they have a good organisation. So it won't be easy at all, but it won't be easy for the opponent either, because we're almost at the same level.
What to expect... I think it will be a tough game for both sides. As I always say, we came here to compete, and it doesn't matter where we play or against whom. Maybe we will do something differently compared to the first match against Porto, there is a possibility, because now we will have to deal with a different opponent, but in general we will try to be ourselves and go for the win.
As for our strengths, it is always the team. According to my philosophy, it is the team that stands above the individual, not vice versa. We are one team: we attack together, defend together, and fight for each other. This is our main strength, of course, in addition to our tactical skills, style of play, and ability to attack powerfully. It is always something holistic, it is impossible to single out a single part, because they are all interconnected. For me, the most important aspect is the team. The team is everything, there is nothing above the team. This is exactly what my players demonstrate, and I am very pleased with this. I hope we will see this in the match against Porto - pride, courage and a game to win," said Pušić at the pre-match press conference.
