Kosyrin: In the match with Porto, Shakhtar players received a blow and they will have time to think about everything on vacation

In the final match of the group stage of the Champions League Miner visiting lost to Porto (3:5). Defeat sent Gornyakov in the Europa League playoffsand the 1/8 finals of the Champions League will be played by the Portuguese club. Significant moments of the Porto – Shakhtar match discussed with the famous former football player of Donetsk Metallurg and Odessa Chernomorets, ex-player of the national team of Ukraine Alexander Kosyrin.

— Did the starting line-up surprise the orange-and-blacks?

– In principle, no. Only the appearance of Yaroslav Rakitsky came as a certain surprise. The coaching staff inside knows what state this or that performer is in now. Probably, Yaroslav’s appearance in the starting lineup is also due to his vast experience. On Wednesday evening we saw the so-called frontal game – when each of the opponents wanted to get into the 1/8 finals of the Champions League. Of course, it was ideal for Shakhtar to decide everything in advance, not to postpone everything until the last match.

Let’s not forget that Porto plays in a fairly strong and competitive championship; there are often games at the Champions League level. What about the Ukrainian championship? Now we see the level of play in our championship. It’s hard for Shakhtar to move from the game with Veres to the match with Porto. The mistakes that football players from Donetsk make are forgiven by Veres players, but not Porto players.

— What are your impressions of Porto?

— Porto is always visible and plays quite successfully in the Champions League. They know how to find talent and sell it profitably. I am convinced that soon their striker Taremi will be sold to leading clubs in Europe. And in his place they will buy a young talented forward and develop him.

It is easy to progress in the strong Portuguese championship. In addition to Porto, Benfica, Sporting, Braga play there, they play confidently in the European arena. And recently Shakhtar played Veres and referee Monzul helped the Miners. For what? Why? That’s why all this is having a negative impact on the European arena. Such a disservice only harms both Shakhtar and Dynamo Kyiv.

— Why did the Portuguese open the scoring so easily in the opening of the match?

— Porto players have a fairly good level. One player was allowed to receive the ball in the penalty area and he easily shot into the goalkeeper’s area, where Galeno already scored without any problems.

— How would you evaluate Sican’s goal and the reaction of the Portuguese players to the referee’s decision?

— Experienced defender Pepe got everyone going. He started screaming, waving his arms, then started telling everyone. I would give the whistle to Pepe, let him referee. But for now he is a football player. In football you have to play until the referee whistles. Then the panel of judges will analyze the entire episode. The miner scored a completely normal goal. It is not the Porto players who decide everything on the field, but only the referee. In general, the Romanian referee Kovac judged this match normally.

— Do you agree that Porto scored the decisive goal in the match in the 43rd minute of the match? Going into the break with the score 1:1 would be nice for the Miners.

– Certainly. But even after this missed goal, I believed that the orange-and-blacks would still score their goal. But this evening the Donetsk Shakhtar players made too many mistakes in simple situations. And this is amazing. Our players recently played confidently in defense against Barcelona. And in this, Sudakov and Bondar made mistakes that were unusual for them. We know how much the Donetsk team loves and knows how to play with the ball, but in Porto there were too many unforced errors.

— You mentioned Sudakov. What did he look like in Porto?

— Like Mudrik (laughs). He’s trying, it’s obvious, the coaches have entrusted him with great responsibilities. Much is expected from George. He reads everything, that’s understandable. I think this prevents him from expressing himself. Now Shakhtar’s players have received a blow and they will have time to think about everything on vacation.

— An interesting moment of the meeting occurred in the 74th minute of the meeting, when Shakhtar head coach Pusic made a substitution. Striker Kelsey replaced defender Rakitsky. Was the risk justified here, because by that minute the score was 3:2 in favor of the hosts?

– I think I’m justified. For the spectators, seeing 8 goals in this match was great. For coaches it is better to play 0:0 or 1:0. The miner was losing minimally and had to take risks. What difference does it make with what score you lose? And so the Miners went on the attack and were captured.

— Soon the oldest player on the football field, 40-year-old Pepe, scored a goal after a corner and everything in this match was over?

– Yes. There he escaped Stepanenko’s guard and shot from close range without swinging. Riznyk reacted late and the Donetsk defender who was there was unable to avert the threat.

— Who did you like in the Donetsk team?

— In principle, all the players tried to prove themselves in the most important meeting. To score 3 goals against Porto on the road is worth a lot. But everything was decided by the mistakes of Shakhtar’s players in defense. The hosts scored very easily.

— Is the final third place in the Champions League group the ceiling for the current champion of Ukraine?

– Yes, that’s the maximum. Let us remember that Shakhtar beat Barcelona and defeated the Belgian champion Antwerp twice. But the start of the group tournament did not work out for our team. Porto beat the Miners very easily in Hamburg. And you need to score points from the first round. But let’s not forget that there is a war in Ukraine and Ukrainian teams play all matches away from home. If Shakhtar played home matches in Ukraine, there would be a greater chance to play more successfully in home matches. Let’s not forget that, historically, Ukrainian teams play rather mediocre in European competitions in December. Everyone is already tired and fed up with football.

— Several veterans play in Shakhtar: Chigrinsky is 37 years old, Stepanenko and Rakitsky are 34 years old. What should the club do next with these players – let them go or extend their contract?

– Look at Pepe – he is 40 years old, and he is in perfect order. So I think Shakhtar’s managers should extend the contracts with these players. Experienced football players should be on the team. Young people need to learn from them. At one time, in Odessa Chernomorets, there were no experienced guys when I was a young football player and there was no one to teach us something right. At some point you need competent advice and hints. So, I’m here for extending the contract with this trio.

— How would you rate the work of Shakhtar’s new head coach Marino Pusic?

— In general, I like his style of work. What you practice in training all carries over into official matches. I know that head coaches don’t like to come to the team in the middle of the season. Nobody wants to be a firefighter or rescuer. Now the winter break has arrived and Pusic can rethink everything well. And then you need to prepare effectively for the winter training camp. As a forward, I am impressed that Pusic builds his game with an emphasis on attack. The only bad thing is that Shakhtar’s opponent in the Europa League will be in good shape, but the Donetsk team will not.

— Will the miner be able to go through several rounds in the Europa League? After all, rivals of the level of Roma, Brighton, Sporting and Glasgow Rangers could end up there in the draw?

– Of course he can. Shakhtar always plays attacking football. The players of the Donetsk team always create scoring chances near the opponent’s goal. Now it is important to conduct training camps correctly. After the victory over Barcelona, ​​Shakhtar have no one to fear. Only Manchester City is undesirable, but it remains in the Champions League. The champion of Ukraine can cope with any opponent.