Former forward of Kyiv's Dynamo Maksim Shatskykh shared what he expects from the match of his former team against Turkish Galatasaray in the 7th round of the main stage of the Europa League, which will take place tomorrow in Istanbul.
Maksim Shatskykh— Before each match, no matter what, the chances are still 50 to 50. And how the game will turn out, no one knows. It’s important here what tasks each side has and what they are pursuing. What is more important for the teams — the domestic championship or the Europa League. It’s hard to predict anything.
— What do you say about the fact that "Galatasaray" has not lost in 24 matches in a row?
— Maybe a team has flown to them that will inflict that first defeat. But we’ll see!
— How do you assess Kyiv's training sessions?
— Training sessions are training sessions. After all, "Galatasaray" is in a better playing shape than "Dynamo". This also matters a lot. And I think this will affect the match to some extent. Yes, "Dynamo" played quite a few matches during these training sessions, but I believe the Kyiv side is still not in the condition they usually approach the second half of the season with. Therefore, I think this will also influence the game.
— What do you think about the Champions League match "Shakhtar" — "Brest"? The French team is a serious opponent?
— In the Champions League, there are no unserious opponents. All good, decent teams play in this tournament. "Shakhtar" will also find it quite challenging. Here, I think the most important thing is to fight for the honor of the country, for the honor of the club, especially in the current realities. Therefore, I believe that "Shakhtar" will also make every effort to win this match.
Dmitry Kotkov
