Former Ukraine national team player Andriy Polunin shared his impressions of the Champions League match between Bologna and Shakhtar.
Andriy Polunin"Bologna's players pressed well and the visitors hardly kept the ball. In addition, long passes behind the backs of defenders have disappeared from the Pitmen's arsenal, as was the case in the episode with the 11-meter penalty. By the way, I'm convinced that if Sudakov had converted the penalty, everything would have been different. "Bologna would have run back with great force, there would have been free space and Shakhtar would have been in their element.
But that didn't happen, and under pressure from the hosts, who were also on the alert in the middle of the field, the Miners had to focus on defense. Moreover, the Pitmen had problems not only with long passes, but also with crosses, so although striker Danylo Sikan tried to meet the home defenders high, he was on a starvation diet. It is better to ask the visitors' midfielders why they lacked creativity, and unfortunately, Sudakov did not cope with the role of leader.
If I had my way, I would have given a special prize to goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk. Still, Matvienko was not infallible, and Riznyk acted without error, both on the goal line and on the exits," Polunin said.
