A very tough encounter
Friday, March 6, 2026
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Shakhtar forward and scorer of the winning goal Lassina Traore spoke to UPL.TV about the victory over Oleksandriia
– Congratulations on the win! Your goal proved decisive in the match against Oleksandriia. The opponents played with three centre-backs, so how difficult was it to operate against such a compact defence?
– Thank you! It was certainly a very tough encounter, and the condition of the pitch didn’t make things any easier. I’m sure Oleksandriia prepared passionately for us, and their three-centre-back system was designed to disrupt our attacking play as much as possible. To some extent, they managed that, but the most important thing is that we secured a very important three points in the end.
– We’ve already seen three of Shakhtar’s matches this spring, and it happens that the Miners only score after the break, while they fail to convert their chances in the first half. What’s the reason? Maybe it's bad luck, since everything comes together in the second half?
– In my view, many teams give more than their maximum when they play against us. It’s also possible that we’re still building up our optimal physical condition. Of course, we need more space to make the most of our chances. Despite all the difficulties, we have to find alternative ways to get into the opponents’ box and break down these low defensive blocks.
– As soon as the opponents pushed forward from defence, Pedro Henrique found you with a pass from the left flank. Did you know he would play it there?
– Of course! I know he’s a very fast player, and when our central defenders have the ball, I understand that a pass is likely, especially if there’s space on the flank. The head coach constantly emphasises that we need to be in the penalty area, apply pressure and dominate. I did that, and fortunately, it ended with a goal.
– Thank you! It was certainly a very tough encounter, and the condition of the pitch didn’t make things any easier. I’m sure Oleksandriia prepared passionately for us, and their three-centre-back system was designed to disrupt our attacking play as much as possible. To some extent, they managed that, but the most important thing is that we secured a very important three points in the end.
– We’ve already seen three of Shakhtar’s matches this spring, and it happens that the Miners only score after the break, while they fail to convert their chances in the first half. What’s the reason? Maybe it's bad luck, since everything comes together in the second half?
– In my view, many teams give more than their maximum when they play against us. It’s also possible that we’re still building up our optimal physical condition. Of course, we need more space to make the most of our chances. Despite all the difficulties, we have to find alternative ways to get into the opponents’ box and break down these low defensive blocks.
– As soon as the opponents pushed forward from defence, Pedro Henrique found you with a pass from the left flank. Did you know he would play it there?
– Of course! I know he’s a very fast player, and when our central defenders have the ball, I understand that a pass is likely, especially if there’s space on the flank. The head coach constantly emphasises that we need to be in the penalty area, apply pressure and dominate. I did that, and fortunately, it ended with a goal.