We have a difficult meeting ahead
Friday, December 20, 2024
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Head coach of Shakhtar youth team Oleksii Bielik shared his impressions of the UEFA Youth League Round of 32 draw
– Oleksii, Shakhtar U19 will face Hoffenheim U19 away in the UEFA Youth League Round of 32. What are your thoughts on the draw results?
– It is necessary to understand that they are the current champions of Germany, therefore, it is clear that a tough match is ahead. It is still difficult to assess how strong Hoffenheim U19 are, but if they won the domestic league playing against such opponents as Bayern U19 or B. Dortmund U19, it already says something. The showdown will consist of one match, so anything is possible. We will try to learn, analyse strengths and weaknesses, choose tactics and try to do everything to pass this opponent. We will analyse Hoffenheim U19 in more detail closer to the match, because now it makes no sense, since the championship in Germany is held according to a different system, if compared to last year, and it turns out that the second stage is becoming more competitive.
– In the UEFA Youth League league phase, Shakhtar already faced the German team – Bayern U19, that, like Hoffenheim U19, takes the first places in the domestic league. Are these opponents similar in your opinion and do you plan to use the experience gained in the match against Bayern U19?
– It is hard to answer because I have never seen a game where Hoffenheim U19 participated. I think German football, except for some points, is generally similar. It is clear that our opponent is a physically strong team that play intense football. We have a difficult meeting ahead, but I am sure that if we avoid the game we showed with Bayern U19 in the first half and play like we did in the second half, we will have a good chance of succeeding.
– Tell us more about what the preparation for the opponent will be like and what you expect from the upcoming showdown.
– On January 13, we will start preparing for the game in Turkey, and before that, the players will undergo a medical examination, tests and a gas analyser to understand their condition. It is obvious that the first weeks will be difficult, with a lot of running work. Also, the friendly games at the training camp are already planned, and when the first team will face B. Dortmund in Germany, we will try to fly with them to support them and probably play a friendly match against the representatives of the German Youth Championship. We wanted to play B. Dortmund U19, but they refused due to a tough schedule in the domestic league. Negotiations are ongoing now, we will probably play against a team that is an opponent of Hoffenheim U19 in the championship. This will be a kind of rehearsal for the meeting in the UEFA Youth League Round of 32. After returning to Turkey, we will begin focused preparation for the opponent, we will work with the ball and add theory sessions where we will analyse strengths and weaknesses of Hoffenheim U19.
– It is necessary to understand that they are the current champions of Germany, therefore, it is clear that a tough match is ahead. It is still difficult to assess how strong Hoffenheim U19 are, but if they won the domestic league playing against such opponents as Bayern U19 or B. Dortmund U19, it already says something. The showdown will consist of one match, so anything is possible. We will try to learn, analyse strengths and weaknesses, choose tactics and try to do everything to pass this opponent. We will analyse Hoffenheim U19 in more detail closer to the match, because now it makes no sense, since the championship in Germany is held according to a different system, if compared to last year, and it turns out that the second stage is becoming more competitive.
– In the UEFA Youth League league phase, Shakhtar already faced the German team – Bayern U19, that, like Hoffenheim U19, takes the first places in the domestic league. Are these opponents similar in your opinion and do you plan to use the experience gained in the match against Bayern U19?
– It is hard to answer because I have never seen a game where Hoffenheim U19 participated. I think German football, except for some points, is generally similar. It is clear that our opponent is a physically strong team that play intense football. We have a difficult meeting ahead, but I am sure that if we avoid the game we showed with Bayern U19 in the first half and play like we did in the second half, we will have a good chance of succeeding.
– Tell us more about what the preparation for the opponent will be like and what you expect from the upcoming showdown.
– On January 13, we will start preparing for the game in Turkey, and before that, the players will undergo a medical examination, tests and a gas analyser to understand their condition. It is obvious that the first weeks will be difficult, with a lot of running work. Also, the friendly games at the training camp are already planned, and when the first team will face B. Dortmund in Germany, we will try to fly with them to support them and probably play a friendly match against the representatives of the German Youth Championship. We wanted to play B. Dortmund U19, but they refused due to a tough schedule in the domestic league. Negotiations are ongoing now, we will probably play against a team that is an opponent of Hoffenheim U19 in the championship. This will be a kind of rehearsal for the meeting in the UEFA Youth League Round of 32. After returning to Turkey, we will begin focused preparation for the opponent, we will work with the ball and add theory sessions where we will analyse strengths and weaknesses of Hoffenheim U19.