Oleg MATVEEV: “This Shakhtar has no talent somewhere”

Former Shakhtar player Oleg Matveyev He made evaluations about Donetsk club’s victory over Antwerp (1:0) in the 5th round match of the Champions League group stage.

– Football wasn’t great, but it was interesting. It was a difficult match for Shakhtar. The miners had the initiative in the first half; They controlled the ball, attacked more, were sharper and scored an early goal. After the break, we returned the initiative and played according to the result. But I really liked how all the guys worked on defense and showed their “miner” character, I can’t help it.

– Comment on the goal scored.

– Zubkov served well in the “shot”, the serve was not high, we had to find our player. Matvienko got in front of his guard, made a great header and scored.

– Was there any excitement in the second half that the Belgians could put pressure on?

– It was! On the one hand, it cannot be said that they were very fast, but their stacking and constant crossing and passing made me nervous. There was a moment when Bondarenko could not score in a one-on-one position, and it immediately became clear that the reverse attack was very dangerous.

– Pusic’s Shakhtar do not score more than one goal per match. From where?

– Somewhere there is a lack of finishing ability, somewhere there is a lack of luck, although Sican, Neverton and Zubkov are quite quality players. We created many opportunities. It was noteworthy that they did not hit anything, but controlled the ball correctly and worked in their own areas. If this was not noticeable in the championship before, it was noticed in the Champions League. Now, after losses, players return to the ball line correctly and know what to do.

– Who is the best player of the match?

– I really liked Sudakov, Zubkov, Matvienko and Bondar and Stepanenko. I really like the difference in each match. He’s a valuable replacement for Trubin, I’m sure he has a great future.

– Do you see a play-off chance in the Champions League?

– I wouldn’t be surprised if Shakhtar beat Porto away. All teams have already learned to play. I need a little more luck. I think Shakhtar will prepare well for this match and be in a winning mood.

After the victory against Antwerp, Shakhtar have 9 points in the 5 rounds of the Champions League; The same number as Porto, but the Dragons are ahead of the Pitmen on additional indicators. The decisive match against Porto to reach the Champions League play-offs will be played on December 13 at 22:00 Kiev time, and Shakhtar only needs a win.