It wasn’t easy for us
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
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Live on Futbol 2 TV channel, Shakhtar defender Vitao commented on the victory over Chornomorets Odesa in the Ukrainian Cup Round of 16 and spoke about the team's preparation for the next match
- Congrats on the win! Would you comment on the match?
- Thanks for the congratulations. Today we had a tough encounter, the opponents displayed their style – it wasn’t easy for us. The Odesa outfit put 11 men behind the ball, occasionally launching counterattacks. In the second half, we got back to our genuine play, secured a win and advanced to the Cup quarter-finals.
- What specific issues did you face in the first half?
- Chornomorets defended really tight, it’s difficult to rip open their defence in such matches. It’s hard to find some open spaces when the opponents just park the bus in front of their goal. In the second half, we started handling the ball faster and were able to find spece.
- What instructions did De Zerbi give you at half-time? Did he additionally motivate the team for the second half?
- We did well even without it. I want to repeat that Mister asked us to speed up the ballwork, to find more passing options and get located between the lines of the opposing players. Later, the fruits of this work led to three goals scored.
- What’s your mood after this victory, after all you’re facing encounters with Desna and Real Madrid?
- The final whistle sounded, and we’ve forgotten this game, getting focussed on the next meeting. Just tomorrow, we will start preparing for the match against Desna – it’s also really important.