Former forward Sergiy Chuychenko shared his expectations from the start of Kyiv’s Dynamo and Donetsk’s Shakhtar in the second half of the Ukrainian championship.
— Sergiy Oleksandrovych, in general, if we rely on the training camps, what are your expectations for the second half of the UPL season? Are you expecting any surprises?
— To be honest, I haven't had the opportunity to watch many friendly matches to analyze. But who can surprise will only become clear after the first rounds played. Then we can talk about something. Based on the results of the training camps, coaches can say how well their teams have prepared for the season. There has been enough time for preparation, but the question is how clubs have strengthened before the matches.
— And what do you expect from our giants Dynamo and Shakhtar? The Kyivans and Donetsk players played in European competitions in January. Will that benefit them?
— The fact that Dynamo and Shakhtar played and experienced official games in January is a big plus for them. It has become clear that Shakhtar is now focusing more on foreigners. We saw this in the Champions League match with Brest, which Donetsk won 2:0. And the Shakhtar players played quite well in this match against the French. I liked them very much. We are already used to the fact that the Donetsk team with Brazilians in the squad plays very well. Dynamo also showed a good game in the European competitions. And the opponents of the Kyivans were not weak. We will see in the first rounds how our giants will perform. Yes, Dynamo has a significant lead of 10 points over Shakhtar, although the miners have a match in hand. It will be hard for the Donetsk team. But, I think, of course, the fight for first place will be between Dynamo and Shakhtar. I also believe that Shakhtar, with such players, must fight for first place.
— Do you still think — there will be intrigue in the UPL?
— Yes. Still, in terms of player qualification and other components, Shakhtar will have more chances to fight for first place than Oleksandriya. But again, a sensation can happen. But a lot will become clear based on the starting matches of the second half of the season. And we will see who is capable of what.
