We had an excellent second half
Friday, December 12, 2025
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Shakhtar forward Luca Meirelles gave his assessment of the match against Hamrun Spartans (2-0)
– Luca, congratulations on the victory! What are your thoughts on the encounter?
– I’m very happy with the victory in the UEFA Conference League match. We knew it would be a difficult game – because of the pitch and the battle. But, thank God, we had an excellent second half, scored the goals, made the most of our chances and secured the win.
– Given the scoreline, why were the two halves so completely different? What was missing in the first half and what did you manage to add in the second?
– I think it was very difficult to finish attacks or create chances around the goal mostly because of the pitch. But in the second half, I believe their team got tired, and we came back better, more focused. The coach spoke to us, told us what needed to be improved, and we made use of our opportunities, had a good second half, so I’m very happy with the win in this important match.
– You scored your second European goal for Shakhtar. Tell us about this episode – from the very start to the celebration.
– Of course, I’m very happy and I want to dedicate this whole game and the goal to my family. I miss them a lot, I miss Brazil and everything I do here is for my loved ones. So I’m very happy that I can help Shakhtar in European competitions, as well as in Ukrainian tournaments. And I also want to say that I’m sending a big hug to my family and that I miss them very much.
– In which moments did the opponents surprise you, given that Arda Turan had said many positive things about Hamrun Spartans ahead of the match?
– Mister, as I said, is a very determined person who always pushes us forward. He understands all the difficulties of our trips, especially the long ones, which make recovery after matches harder because there is very little time for it. But I believe this is our job – we must give everything for Shakhtar. He constantly emphasises that we need to focus on nutrition, rest and training because this is very important for maintaining the consistency of victories And we do all this for our families, for Shakhtar, as it is a great club and I’m very happy to be here. It is a huge honour for me to score again in a European competition. Also, playing for a major European club is an honour for me and my family. I’m very happy, and my family are happy for me as well. To score another goal for this club is something special.
Of course, the opponents’ fight and commitment made the game very difficult for us in the first half. In the second half they got a bit tired, which made things easier. We were able to score, create chances and make the most of our advantages. Their battle on a difficult pitch, with many challenges, was the biggest obstacle.
– I’m very happy with the victory in the UEFA Conference League match. We knew it would be a difficult game – because of the pitch and the battle. But, thank God, we had an excellent second half, scored the goals, made the most of our chances and secured the win.
– Given the scoreline, why were the two halves so completely different? What was missing in the first half and what did you manage to add in the second?
– I think it was very difficult to finish attacks or create chances around the goal mostly because of the pitch. But in the second half, I believe their team got tired, and we came back better, more focused. The coach spoke to us, told us what needed to be improved, and we made use of our opportunities, had a good second half, so I’m very happy with the win in this important match.
– You scored your second European goal for Shakhtar. Tell us about this episode – from the very start to the celebration.
– Of course, I’m very happy and I want to dedicate this whole game and the goal to my family. I miss them a lot, I miss Brazil and everything I do here is for my loved ones. So I’m very happy that I can help Shakhtar in European competitions, as well as in Ukrainian tournaments. And I also want to say that I’m sending a big hug to my family and that I miss them very much.
– In which moments did the opponents surprise you, given that Arda Turan had said many positive things about Hamrun Spartans ahead of the match?
– Mister, as I said, is a very determined person who always pushes us forward. He understands all the difficulties of our trips, especially the long ones, which make recovery after matches harder because there is very little time for it. But I believe this is our job – we must give everything for Shakhtar. He constantly emphasises that we need to focus on nutrition, rest and training because this is very important for maintaining the consistency of victories And we do all this for our families, for Shakhtar, as it is a great club and I’m very happy to be here. It is a huge honour for me to score again in a European competition. Also, playing for a major European club is an honour for me and my family. I’m very happy, and my family are happy for me as well. To score another goal for this club is something special.
Of course, the opponents’ fight and commitment made the game very difficult for us in the first half. In the second half they got a bit tired, which made things easier. We were able to score, create chances and make the most of our advantages. Their battle on a difficult pitch, with many challenges, was the biggest obstacle.