My thanks to Lukaku
Thursday, December 10, 2020
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In an interview to Futbol TV channel, Shakhtar defender Mykola Matviienko summed up the team's Champions League performance
- Inter really wanted to win, but we wanted it no less. We can probably say that the result is positive and that Shakhtar deserved to play in the Europa League in the spring. However, during the match we missed a few chances, looking back at which we don’t regret not having achieved more. My thanks to Lukaku - he helped us block one of the last shots on target.
- You are smiling, so you are satisfied with the meeting outcome?
- You know, it was an end-to-end action actually. Immediately after the draw, everyone was thinking about at least making it to the Europa League. Then, having had a good start, we began talking about the Champions League knockout stages. The end-to-end thing continued and in general, I think, this result is positive.
- Shakhtar played with three central defenders. How difficult was it to switch to another formation?
- It wasn’t difficult because the coaches explained everything to us very clearly. We had a few theory sessions before the match, plus a long theory session on the matchday. They told us who and where should run, everyone knew their role on the field.
- When Inter's goalkeeper Handanovic ran into your penalty area for a set piece in the end, did you have a chance to score into the unguarded net?
- We also had other good opportunities. We carried out a few dangerous counterattacks which, unfortunately, we failed to translate into goals. Even the shots weren’t strong enough. It was necessary to make better use of such opportunities because you don’t get many chances against the likes of Inter and Real Madrid.