Sparrow: Shakhtar needed substitutions in the match against Real Madrid, the players were getting tired. But why did they change Mudrik?

Former striker of Shakhtar and the national team of Ukraine Andriy Vorobey assessed the match of the fourth round of the Champions League group stage Shakhtar vs Real, in which the Pitmen lost a victory over Slivochny in stoppage time, highlighting several important moments.

— First, about the Pitmen’s starting line-up, in which there was one change compared to the game in Madrid. Lassina Traore came on the field in attack. What do you think of Jovicevic’s choice?

“In a way, it was unexpected. Traore first came out in the autumn in the main team. It was clear that he was still not enough for all 90 minutes of the match. But, at the same time, he was important for the tactics of the game that evening. Traore kept the ball, skillfully playing with the body. He always waited for help from midfielders. We know he lacks speed, but he did a good job for Shakhtar against Real Madrid.

– How would you rate the final 1:1 in Warsaw?

— If I had been told before the start of the game that Shakhtar would draw against Real Madrid, I would have been happy. Yes, in the end of the fight the Spaniards were lucky. But, in general, Shakhtar deserved to win this meeting. It is possible, without a doubt, to add this meeting to the asset of the Donetsk team.

— What were the main differences between Shakhtar’s performance in Madrid and Warsaw?

– At home, Ancelotti’s wards looked very powerful. Now the Italian Real Madrid coach has made a certain rotation in his starting lineup. We all know that on Sunday the Santiago Bernabéu will host El Clasico – Real – Barcelona. Perhaps this also influenced the match between Shakhtar and Real. As for the game of the Ukrainian team, our players tried to play combinational football. The miners did not thoughtlessly hit the ball forward. The same Trubin helped the defenders of his team, skillfully playing with his feet. The players of Shakhtar tried to act tactically competently and, basically, they succeeded.

See also: Ancelotti: On the one hand, we played poorly, on the other hand, we reached the 1/8 finals of the Champions League

— The statistics of one of the leaders of Shakhtar Mykhailo Mudrik in this match were not impressive…

— Yes, Mikhail lost a lot of goals, especially in the first half. After the break, he was more noticeable. And he turned on his speed and helped in defense, which we had not seen before.

– How do you like the game and Zubkov’s goal?

– What led to the goal was that during the flank serve, there were 3-4 Shakhtar players in the Real penalty area. This is the only way to count on a goal. Sasha ran to the goalkeeper’s corner and did everything clearly.

– Two goals against Real Madrid – at home and away – will he remember for the rest of his life?

– Of course. Not every player can score against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Zubkov has already left his history at Shakhtar. Alexander gradually gains his best condition and becomes one of the leaders of the team.

– Many experts and fans express the opinion that Igor Jovicevich made unsuccessful substitutions. All the players who entered the field weakened Shakhtar’s play. How do you like this point of view?

– I wouldn’t be so critical. Substitutions were needed, the players of the Donetsk team got tired. Djurasek was not bad in the selection at times. That’s why they replaced Mudrik – I don’t understand. With his speed, he could run away from the opponent’s defenders. Taylor would have been better off replacing Konoplya than Zubkov. Moreover, Konoplya already had a yellow card in liabilities. But you know that the coaching staff knows better, they know the smallest nuances.

– There are many questions about Rudiger’s goal. Already in injury time, his countryman Kroos literally shouted to his defender to go forward. Once he shot past the gate, and the second time he did not forgive our team …

– Yes, Rudiger played in the attack for the last 10 minutes of the match. It was necessary to play closely with him in the penalty area, probably Stepanenko should have done it. He is also a physically powerful player. Somewhere, the fatigue of our players did not allow them to play closely with Rudiger.

– But even Bondarenko, who stood next to Cross on the flank, did not prevent him from making a targeted pass into the penalty area. So right?

– The guys left a lot of strength on the football field. They just couldn’t keep up with the Real Madrid players. We saw Ancelotti throw in five new players off the bench. Yes, Artem should have played harder with the German. Little things like this made the final picture. I will not blame anyone from the Ukrainian team, everyone tried and wanted to win.

– If Trubin plays well, everyone will remember his mistake in the 95th minute of the match. What’s wrong with our goalkeeper?

– Anatoly was good both in Madrid and in Warsaw. Yes, he made a fatal mistake. If Matvienko played with Benzema, then Bondar should have played with Rüdiger. And the transfer there can be done by both Modric and Kroos. For all mistakes immediately punished in the Champions League. I believe that Trubin needs to show more emotions during the games. He is silent all the time. You need to lead, tell the guys. So far, Trubin does not have leadership qualities, but he will come, all with time. The experience of playing in the Champions League will help him.

— We remember that in the game between Shakhtar and Celtic, a player from the Scottish team could score a goal against the Pitmen in stoppage time in a similar situation…

– Yes, Anatoly’s exit game is not perfect yet. He was forgiven with Celtic. In the 85th minute, Vinicius could also score from the goalkeeper’s line. He needs confidence, then the defenders will be calmer.

— Do you agree with the opinion of UEFA that MVP match Artem Bondarenko?

– I agree. Here I would mention three midfield players – Stepanenko, Sudakov and Bondarenko. They all tried to go on the attack through the pass. It happened that they had the ball for 1-2 minutes and the opponent could not pick it up. Bondarenko played a good game, the only thing is that he needs to play more forward, not be afraid to take the initiative. We see that Shakhtar has gathered promising young people.

– What can Donetsk Shakhtar expect in this Champions League now?

– Leaving the group. Nobody thought about it before the first match. At least for the Europa League to catch on, such were the thoughts of many football fans in Ukraine. Everything is real. We need to score points in the next game in Glasgow.

– Will Real Madrid, which reached the 1/8 finals, be motivated in Leipzig?

– I think Ancelotti will again make a rotation in his composition. Real Madrid will now have two games a week. But the substitute players of the Madrid team can beat any opponent.

— Do you know that the 1:1 draw was the first draw in the confrontation between Shakhtar and Real Madrid?

– Yes. Previously, the Spaniards got 5 victories and 2 victories were in the assets of the Donetsk side. Later, on Wikipedia, everyone will look at the score and think it was a tie. But we know that Shakhtar missed the victory over the Royal Club.