Andrey POLUNIN: “I hope Shakhtar can surprise Porto”

In the final match of the Champions League group stage on December 13, Shakhtar’s away players have to beat Porto to qualify for the play-offs in a very prestigious tournament.

Former Ukraine national team midfielder Andrey Polunin In his meeting with Sport.ua reporter, he evaluated the opponents’ chances in today’s match in Portugal:

– We must believe in miracles. Who could have predicted that the modest “Girona”, whose away squad included Ukrainians Viktor Tsygankov and Artem Dovbyk, would confidently beat the famous “Barcelona” in La Liga or that the little-known Danish “Copenhagen” would make it to the play-offs? Will United, the legendary “Manchester” of the Champions League and the English, leave the European Cup race early? I hope today our Shakhtar can surprise the Porto players and achieve a positive result.

– Then please explain what factors could contribute to the Pitmen’s victory?

– You know, I liked how Shakhtar head coach Marino Pusic, at the pre-match press conference, focused on the fact that those who are 100 percent ready, not only in terms of play but also psychologically, will take the field today. I believe the pitmen will be more motivated.

Secondly, the importance of surnames in football has long ceased. Shakhtar proved this recently in the Champions League, when their elite rival Barcelona barely threatened the home team’s goal and deservedly lost. Although the transfer cost of the Spanish giants’ players is much higher than that of the Pitmen. And all this happened because Shakhtar adopted effective tactics in a situation where every player clearly knew his maneuvers. I hope that during the preparation the Donetsk team carefully studied the strengths and weaknesses of the Portuguese club and settled in the correct scheme. Another “trump card” of the guests is the good organization of the game in the last matches, which is the merit of the new helmsman Marino Pusic. They say your opponent is playing the way you allow. I believe that today’s match will go according to the Pitmen’s scenario.

The fact that the Donetsk team will only be content with a victory will force them to act with maximum concentration from the first minutes. This is a plus for Shakhtar. Also, a lot will depend on whether an early goal is scored or not. As you can see, there are many components that can affect the final result. Even though most experts see Porto as the favorite, I believe in miracles.

– Today’s competitors are united by the fact that they receive serious dividends from the sale of their “stars”.

– You are right. There is no doubt that the match in Porto will be a kind of showcase of how valuable the leaders of both teams really are. Their game will definitely attract the attention of observers from more famous and rich clubs. Players are well aware of this, and it only increases interest in the conflict. I really want Shakhtar to take a 1:0 lead and the winning goal to be scored by Georgiy Sudakov, who already has a number of potential buyers lined up for him.