On 22 February, the return leg of the UEFA Europa League 1/16 finals between Marseille and Shakhtar will take place. The first leg in Hamburg resulted in a 2-2 draw. In a conversation with a correspondent of Sport.ua, Honoured Coach of Ukraine Myron Markevych shared his expectations from tomorrow's clash in France:
Мирон Маркевич. Фото: fckarpaty.org.ua- In my opinion, a change at the helm of Marseille can be good for them. In such cases, especially before crucial matches, it unites the team and forces them to go out of their way to impress the new head coach.
- But Jean-Louis Gasset, who replaced Gennaro Gattuso, is by no means a top coach.
- What matters here is that he is an experienced specialist who is well versed in the French football 'kitchen'. After all, there are a lot of older players playing for the Citizens, and Gasse will have no problem making the necessary adjustments. The main thing is that this upheaval can have a positive impact on the team's microclimate, promote self-confidence, and these are significant levers to break the long winless streak.
- What other "trump cards" of the French giant should Shakhtar be wary of?
- Fierce pressure from the Marseille fans. And although the Miners, with their considerable international experience, cannot be intimidated by this, they still need to be prepared for the stands to drive their team forward. That is why it is important to withstand and not concede in the first 20 minutes. If the hosts score a quick goal, and given their ability to switch from defence to attack instantly, it will be difficult for the visitors.
Thirdly, the Pitmen need to be focused in martial arts. Marseille have a lot of individually strong players, and a lot will depend on how effectively the visitors act in the backline and whether there are any free zones.
- In your opinion, will Shakhtar's actions be affected by the absence of suspended stopper Valeriy Bondar and the fact that holding midfielder Taras Stepanenko may not play due to injury?
- I don't think so, because Shakhtar have a long bench. Veteran Yaroslav Rakitskiy can play reliably in the centre of defence, and Dmytro Kryskiv and Artem Bondarenko have a chance to prove themselves in the supporting area. And if they meet the expectations of head coach Marino Pušić, their positions in the team will become stronger.
- Finally, what qualities can Shakhtar use to make life difficult for Marseille tomorrow?
- Thanks to team play, as well as the ability to get out from under pressure, home billets when playing standard positions. By the way, in the first match in Hamburg, when the Pitmen quickly played the ball near the visitors' possession and thoughtfully changed the direction of their attacks, the latter were noticeably nervous. Shakhtar will have to act in the same way tomorrow in Marseille. The winner will be the one who makes fewer mistakes at their goal.
