We want only to win
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
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Shakhtar midfielder Heorhii Sudakov commented on the win over Minaj and spoke about working with a busy schedule
– How is it to compete with the UPL level opponents after the European matches?
– We have very important matches now; we understand our situation in the tournament table. We are currently two points behind our competitor and there was a five-point gap, so we needed a victory only and the team were as focused on the game as possible. I have already said it earlier: it doesn't matter if it's a Champions League match or a domestic championship match, we always go on focused. Yes, it's not easy to play without fans after you played the match to advance to the Europa League Round of 16 in front of 30 thousand people. However, we did our job earning three points.
– Do you feel more confident in the championship games after European competitions?
– I feel more confident with every game. I'm still a young footballer, I'm learning every match. When you play for 120 minutes, you definitely learn something, you reach a new level. I hope there will be many more encounters in my career, but I'm going from game to game.
– You converted a penalty. How was the performer chosen?
– There are players who are responsible for this – me and Bondarenko. This time I just walked up and said that I was going to do it. There are no disputes about this, so if Artem wants to take the next penalty kick, there is no problem. We can agree to take turns.
– Do you additionally practice the spot shots at the training sessions?
– Honestly, we don’t. I think the penalty is a bit of skills and a bit of self-possession. You can hit 100 times out of 100 at the session, but during a game, where responsibility and tension weigh on you, it's another thing. That's why I don't pay much attention to penalties, but we analyse the opponent's goalkeepers before matches and our goalkeeping coach helps us a lot.
– It is always difficult for Shakhtar to play against Volodymyr Sharan’s side. How was it to face Minaj?
– Minaj are a good team with own playing pattern, although their football differs from ours. Now there are no weak teams in the championship, it is difficult to face any of them. We don’t pay special attention to the opponents because everything depends mainly on us. If we give 100 percent, then we will definitely have a result.
– How is it possible to combine performances on two fronts from a physical point of view?
– I have already said: everyone understands the current situation. We want only to win in every game and now we are mentally preparing for Metalist 1925. We understand the importance of this match, as we have no right to make mistakes. We want to become champions and all team players only want to win.
– We have very important matches now; we understand our situation in the tournament table. We are currently two points behind our competitor and there was a five-point gap, so we needed a victory only and the team were as focused on the game as possible. I have already said it earlier: it doesn't matter if it's a Champions League match or a domestic championship match, we always go on focused. Yes, it's not easy to play without fans after you played the match to advance to the Europa League Round of 16 in front of 30 thousand people. However, we did our job earning three points.
– Do you feel more confident in the championship games after European competitions?
– I feel more confident with every game. I'm still a young footballer, I'm learning every match. When you play for 120 minutes, you definitely learn something, you reach a new level. I hope there will be many more encounters in my career, but I'm going from game to game.
– You converted a penalty. How was the performer chosen?
– There are players who are responsible for this – me and Bondarenko. This time I just walked up and said that I was going to do it. There are no disputes about this, so if Artem wants to take the next penalty kick, there is no problem. We can agree to take turns.
– Do you additionally practice the spot shots at the training sessions?
– Honestly, we don’t. I think the penalty is a bit of skills and a bit of self-possession. You can hit 100 times out of 100 at the session, but during a game, where responsibility and tension weigh on you, it's another thing. That's why I don't pay much attention to penalties, but we analyse the opponent's goalkeepers before matches and our goalkeeping coach helps us a lot.
– It is always difficult for Shakhtar to play against Volodymyr Sharan’s side. How was it to face Minaj?
– Minaj are a good team with own playing pattern, although their football differs from ours. Now there are no weak teams in the championship, it is difficult to face any of them. We don’t pay special attention to the opponents because everything depends mainly on us. If we give 100 percent, then we will definitely have a result.
– How is it possible to combine performances on two fronts from a physical point of view?
– I have already said: everyone understands the current situation. We want only to win in every game and now we are mentally preparing for Metalist 1925. We understand the importance of this match, as we have no right to make mistakes. We want to become champions and all team players only want to win.