– Sergey Nikolaevich, what are your expectations from the match between the Donetsk team and the French?
– I watched the game of “Brest” with “Renne”. “Brest” won this match on the road with a score of 1:2. The French have a very decent team. The only thing that gives hope is the fact that “Rennes” created a number of opportunities in this meeting. “Rennes” should not have lost this match, created a lot of chances. But it should be understood that the Champions League is an extraordinary event for Brest. And it is worth adding that “Brest” is playing in full swing in the French championship, and “Shakhtar” is only getting involved in the second half of the season. Donetsk will play Champions League matches this week and next, and the UPL will start three weeks later.
– What is the most important thing for Shakhtar in this upcoming match?
– We need to score points, because, probably, for Ukrainian teams, this is one of the worst European seasons. Previously, our teams reached the semifinals at the Euroarena.
– There was a season when “Dynamo”, “Shakhtar” and “Metalist” played in the 1/8 finals of the Europa League.
– Yes. And how many times Shakhtar went far! And in the Champions League, they played in the quarterfinals. “Dnipro” has reached the final of the Europa League! There were always such achievements.
– What is the difference between this time and those years?
– “Dynamo” always focuses on local pupils, our Ukrainian football players. And “Shakhtar” has always focused on foreigners, especially since the time of Lucescu. Now the situation has changed a little. Sudakov, Bondarenko, Kryskiv are recognized as key players of the Donetsk team.
Source: sport.ua