Shakhtar are a quality side
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
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At the pre-match press conference, Marco Rose shared his expectations of the upcoming meeting with Shakhtar on the UCL group stage MD4
- What is the staffing situation in Monchengladbach before the match vs Shakhtar?
- The midfielder Jonas Hofmann who is injured, as well as defender Rami Bensebaini who tested positive for coronavirus, will not play Shakhtar. But Alassane Plea is over and he is allowed to train today. We'll have to see whether he is fit enough to be involved tomorrow.”
- The previous meeting with Shakhtar was easy enough for your team, as evidenced by its scoreline ...
- Tomorrow, the first-leg result will not matter. We turned in our best performance then, but it’s history now because each result has to be claimed over and over again. We know that tomorrow Shakhtar will act in a completely different way and will try to win. Shakhtar have a quality and very good team who attack and defend well. We understand that we’re facing a tough encounter. But we also know that we are in good shape and on the right track. We’re ready and definitely want to win this home game.
- And yet, do you consider the 6-0 scoreline in that match to be logical?
- It’s our victory that was deserved, we scored many beautiful goals. I was especially impressed by the second and third ones. As for the opponents, they didn’t succeed in many things then. 6-0 is an unusual score for Shakhtar, which is why I think the return leg will be different.
- Have Shakhtar changed since the first meeting?
- Little has changed at Shakhtar compared to the first match. A very important Ukraine player Taras Stepanenko has returned to a responsible position in midfield. I know that they have certain issues with the left-back role and at centreback. But this doesn’t change the situation because the opponents have a good reserve. However, we also have top-quality players.
- Midway through the group stage, Borussia sit atop the group. Defeating Shakhtar can bring your team even closer to the knockout phase ...
- We had three games and have the position that we deserve. And the encounter with Shakhtar is very important to us regardless of the standings. We want to win and shouldn’t think about anything else that distracts us. In the Champions League, we need maximum concentration and performance, no matter what opponents you face. Only after the game will it be possible to talk about whether we’ve made a step forward.
- Please comment on the coronavirus situation in your team.
- The coronavirus situation affects everyone. We face it all the time, but still I think we are well positioned in professional football through regular testing and adherence to the rules set by the healthcare system. I have great confidence in everyone who is involved in decision-making in this regard. But no one is immune from infection, all clubs have to do without a number of players again and again. That’s not easy, but it affects all of us equally. At the moment, we are not secure regarding the fact that this or that footballer may get infected. But it’s important that those who self-isolate can be readily replaced by others. We must accept the situation as it is.