Yuriy VIRT: “It would be good for Shakhtar to surprise Antwerp like in the first match”

On 28 November, Shakhtar players will host Antwerp, Belgium, in their next Champions League group stage match (kick-off at 19:45 Kiev time).

Former Pitmen goalkeeper Yuriy Virt shared his expectations from the match in Hamburg, Germany, in his meeting with Sport.ua reporter:

– I really want the Donetsk team to gain the upper hand tomorrow after an unexpected victory over Barcelona, ​​and then the fate of the ticket to the next round will be decided in the final match with Porto.

– You are not worried that Shakhtar did not look convincing in the current UPL championship and you do not complain about the bias of the referees, as was the case in such cases before.

– In recent months Shakhtar have indeed often found themselves in the minority, but in my opinion all these suspensions were fair. As for me, the Pitmen themselves are responsible for the loss of points in the UPL, having squandered a scoring opportunity in one match and not being blameless defensively in the other. The Pitmen really lack consistency this season. A similar incident occurred in the Shakhtar-Antwerp match in Belgium. Before the break, the Pitmen were behind in all components – 0:2. In the second half, the away team reached a turning point and achieved a super strong victory. To be fair, it should be said that the City goalkeeper acted strangely at that moment and the home team managed not to convert the penalty in extra time.

– Many experts argued that Antwerp, where there were many young people, prematurely believed in their victory and was punished for frivolity.

– Let the “townspeople” find out why this happened, but this is already history. It is now important for the Pitmen to draw the right conclusions from this victory and not make the same mistakes. In general, in my opinion, the Donetsk team did not play as well as Antwerp’s second half this season. Therefore, it is desirable to surprise Antwerp tomorrow with intensity and the desire not to give up in every battle.

– Maybe Shakhtar’s problems in the UPL championship are due to insufficient concentration?

– It is possible, but the Champions League is a completely different tournament, the motivation is different and even more so at the finish line. At stake here is Ukraine’s football image and, ultimately, the opportunity to seriously renew the club’s coffers.

Therefore, it is important that there is no conspiratorial mood in Hamburg. Yes, Antwerp, unlike the Pitmen, do not play in European cups very often, but in this team there are enough talented young people who are eager to make a name for themselves in the most prestigious continental tournament. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account every little detail, demonstrate your best qualities, and only then will Shakhtar’s December challenge for the Champions League play-offs in Portugal become a reality.