Renowned Ukrainian coach Oleksandr Babych assessed Shakhtar Donetsk's performance in this season's Champions League (third place in the group with Barcelona, Porto and Antwerp) and also told what he expects from the Pitmen's clash with French side Marseille in the Europa League play-offs.
Oleksandr Babych. Photo by D. Rudenko"I must admit that Shakhtar do not match the level of the Champions League. But the Europa League is quite within the Pitmen's grasp. The fact that we have a European spring is a significant plus for our football, and we should thank Shakhtar for that.
You may ask, how did the Miners beat Barcelona, but, in general, they don't have the necessary potential for the Champions League? "The Orange and Blacks played the so-called second best, against an opponent who underestimated them. Shakhtar's victory was a coincidence. If the same teams had played 5-6 matches in a row, Barcelona would have lost no more than one match.
After the victory over the Catalans, Shakhtar's players became confident, and even overconfident. "In the opener, Porto clearly showed the Pitmen that it was too early to dream of something more.
As for Shakhtar's future opponent in the Europa League play-offs, Marseille, there is a chance to pass them. I know well how Gattuso prepares the team, he is a great motivator. And Marseille's attack is good. But in other lines, this French team has problems. Currently, the chances of the teams in this pair are 50-50. High-quality winter training will allow Shakhtar not only to knock out Marseille, but also to reach at least the semi-finals of the Europa League," FootBoom quotes Babych as saying.
