Pusic: We are in good physical shape and mentally strong, which allows us to feel good before the battle with Young Boys

Head coach Shakhtar Marino Pusic spoke at a press conference before the fourth round match Champions League against Young Boys.

“Every game is important. And, of course, we want to win this match, because in this case we will increase our chances of achieving our main goal. Everything is possible in the new format of the Champions League. As I said before, the match with Young Boys is a game against a very good team. And both clubs need points, so it will be an interesting confrontation.”

“We are in strong physical and mental shape. I’m not worried about that. We have played well in the last few matches and the team is in good enough shape to go into the battle with Young Boys. And, of course, we have a roster rotation: in the last two or three matches, almost all the players took the field and showed good performances. So, we are physically fit and mentally strong too, which makes us feel good going into this fight.”

“We have to create a lot of chances in front of the opponent’s goal to score one or two goals and that will change the situation. It’s easy enough to say, but much harder to do. It is very important for me as a coach that we create a lot of chances and play good football – this will make me happy. And of course, execution must be at a high level if you want to advance further in the tournament.”

“However, at the highest level of competition, the Champions League level, this is much more difficult to achieve. Of course, we will try to create as many chances as possible, for example, as we did in the match with Arsenal, where we had good chances. However, scoring a goal can also be difficult. In my opinion, it will be very important to score in this match in order to relieve the pressure that the players are feeling. Let me say this: if we convert more than 50 percent of our chances, it will be great and then we will definitely win.”

After three rounds of the Champions League, Shakhtar have only one point to their credit. Young Boys lost all three opening matches. At the same time, both clubs have not yet scored in this tournament.

Marino Pusic took 27 players with him to the Champions League fourth round match against Young Boys.

The match between Shakhtar and Young Boys will take place in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday, November 6. Start – at 19:45 Kyiv time. The match will be officiated by Israeli referee Orel Greenfeld.