Former forward Andriy Vorobey shared his thoughts ahead of the first leg of Shakhtar's Europa League last-16 match against Marseille.
- I don't see a clear favourite in this pair. Yes, Marseille is a club with a name and a history, but the team is currently showing very mediocre results. They haven't beaten anyone in the league since the New Year. The team is outside the top six in the standings. In the French Cup, Marseille was eliminated at a fairly early stage (1/16 finals, defeat to Rennes in a penalty shootout - ed.)
Perhaps the only clear advantage of Marseille is that they have a full game practice in official matches, while Shakhtar played only in control matches, the results of which should not be taken seriously. Of course, I would have liked to see a 3-0 or 4-0 scoreline in Shakhtar's favour, but let's be realistic and look at things soberly. I am inclined to believe that there will be a 1-1 draw. Still, the so-called "spring football", if we are talking about Ukrainian clubs, has not yet been cancelled. Our teams usually have a hard time swinging after the winter break," Vorobey said.