First win
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
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Shakhtar played Napoli away in the UEFA Youth League group stage round 5
To retain the chance of reaching the knockout stage, the Miners needed only a victory in Italy. Specifically for this game, Serhii Shyschenko changed the team’s formation, fielding as many as three centre-backs at once in the starting line-up: Chahovets, Bondar and Muravskyi. Topalov and Yakimets also rejoined the starting XI. The hosts had a major change in the coaching staff: instead of Giampaolo Saurini, Lorentino Beoni got in charge of the Azzurri.
Kaschuk’s chance
The first half did not abound with scoring chances, it was noticeable that both opponents valued the result, being most attentive and cautious in every episode. At the same time, Shakhtar fully led the game: they dominated possession, set the pace, reliably sealed off open spaces and did not allow the Neapolitans to have a single attempt at the goal of Kucherenko. Up front, the main threat came from the Orange-and-Blacks’ set pieces. Thus, early in the game, a Napoli defender was close to netting an own goal following a delivery by Yakymets, followed by Muravskyi’s header going just over the crossbar. However, the only goal was scored in a set-piece attack: in the 40th minute Dmytro Pavlish produced an excellent delivery into the goal area from the left-hand side, and the bursting Oleksii Kaschuk bundled the ball into the back of the net with one touch – 1-0 in favour of Shakhtar.
Melichenko's winner
After the break, the hosts charged forward, but they managed to create the first chance only at the end of one hour of the encounter: Chahovets prevented Marino from making an attempt, with the finishing Dzerbin dispatching the ball over the bar. The Miners got more space for blistering counterattacks. Thus, Melichenko who replaced the scorer of the first goal, could have excelled after a cross by Topalov, still failing to find the back of the net with his volley. However, a few minutes later, it was Kyrylo who doubled the score. Melichenko won a challenge down the right wing, burst into the penalty area and struck it past the goalkeeper of Napoli to make it 0-2. However, the comfortable advantage did not last long – Dzerbin took advantage of the error by the Donetsk keeper and pulled one back. In the closing ten minutes, when the Azzurri staged a real assault, Yevhen Kucherenko fully rehabilitated himself, reliably rushing out on multiple occasions and also parrying away a dangerous shot from the edge of the box by Palmieri. The ending of the match was very tense, but Serhii Shyschenko’s boys did not give the victory away and won 2-1.
The Miners will play the UEFA Youth League group stage closing match at home vs their Manchester City counterparts on December 6. And on the coming Saturday of November 25, they are facing the domestic league game vs Olimpik.
Napoli U19 (Naples) 1-2 (0-1) Shakhtar U19 (Donetsk)
Goals: 0-1 Kaschuk (40), 0-2 Melichenko (71), 1-2 Dzerbin (78)
Shakhtar U19: Kucherenko, Chahovets, Bondar, Muravskyi, Konoplya, Pavlish, Yakymets (c), Kryskiv (Shushko, 81), Kaschuk (Melichenko, 65), Topalov, Kulakov (Kuzmenko, 74)
For further details, please go to the match centre.
Kaschuk’s chance
The first half did not abound with scoring chances, it was noticeable that both opponents valued the result, being most attentive and cautious in every episode. At the same time, Shakhtar fully led the game: they dominated possession, set the pace, reliably sealed off open spaces and did not allow the Neapolitans to have a single attempt at the goal of Kucherenko. Up front, the main threat came from the Orange-and-Blacks’ set pieces. Thus, early in the game, a Napoli defender was close to netting an own goal following a delivery by Yakymets, followed by Muravskyi’s header going just over the crossbar. However, the only goal was scored in a set-piece attack: in the 40th minute Dmytro Pavlish produced an excellent delivery into the goal area from the left-hand side, and the bursting Oleksii Kaschuk bundled the ball into the back of the net with one touch – 1-0 in favour of Shakhtar.
Melichenko's winner
After the break, the hosts charged forward, but they managed to create the first chance only at the end of one hour of the encounter: Chahovets prevented Marino from making an attempt, with the finishing Dzerbin dispatching the ball over the bar. The Miners got more space for blistering counterattacks. Thus, Melichenko who replaced the scorer of the first goal, could have excelled after a cross by Topalov, still failing to find the back of the net with his volley. However, a few minutes later, it was Kyrylo who doubled the score. Melichenko won a challenge down the right wing, burst into the penalty area and struck it past the goalkeeper of Napoli to make it 0-2. However, the comfortable advantage did not last long – Dzerbin took advantage of the error by the Donetsk keeper and pulled one back. In the closing ten minutes, when the Azzurri staged a real assault, Yevhen Kucherenko fully rehabilitated himself, reliably rushing out on multiple occasions and also parrying away a dangerous shot from the edge of the box by Palmieri. The ending of the match was very tense, but Serhii Shyschenko’s boys did not give the victory away and won 2-1.
The Miners will play the UEFA Youth League group stage closing match at home vs their Manchester City counterparts on December 6. And on the coming Saturday of November 25, they are facing the domestic league game vs Olimpik.
Napoli U19 (Naples) 1-2 (0-1) Shakhtar U19 (Donetsk)
Goals: 0-1 Kaschuk (40), 0-2 Melichenko (71), 1-2 Dzerbin (78)
Shakhtar U19: Kucherenko, Chahovets, Bondar, Muravskyi, Konoplya, Pavlish, Yakymets (c), Kryskiv (Shushko, 81), Kaschuk (Melichenko, 65), Topalov, Kulakov (Kuzmenko, 74)
For further details, please go to the match centre.