Oleksandr Hladkyi: Olimpik defend very well

13-03-15 14:56:44

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Ahead of the game, Shakhtar forward spoke to the club press office.

- In a recent match against Dynamo, Olimpik not only well defended, but also created some dangerous episodes. Are Donetsk players strong in terms of counterattacking?
- In general, Olimpik are a good team. Which, in fact, they proved in the first round. I think they fully deserved their place in the standings. And I cannot but agree that Olimpik looked really good in the encounter with Dynamo. Therefore, on Sunday we are waiting for a tough game, and we need to approach it seriously. We have nowhere to retreat.

- Along with Illichivets, Olimpik conceded more than others in the Premier League - 32 goals. Do you think it won’t be very difficult for Shakhtar to score against the opponents this coming Sunday?
- I judge by the previous match. Yes, we have claimed a major 5-0 win. But we did not score against them immediately. The first goal seems to have been notched following a ricochet, then Taison drilled a long-ranger into the back of the net. Of course, having a two-goal advantage, it got easier. But at first it was hard! Because Olimpik very well defend as a team. And, as you know, in this case it is very difficult to rip open their defence. Therefore, I want to repeat, it is vital to prepare for the game as well as possible.

- Did Mister focus your attention on the fact that you need to score an early goal?
- Yes, of course he did. Because it’s always like that: the sooner you score, the easier it is to play later.

- Have Shakhtar had enough time to recover after the match in Munich - both physically and mentally?
- Everyone perfectly understands and realizes what happened. But we should move on, without dropping our heads and sprinkling ashes upon them. Of course, this is difficult to forget. But let's move forward with this, of course, having made the right conclusions after the game against Bayern to make sure this does not happen again.

We want to remind you that the match Shakhtar vs Olimpik will be held on March 15 at the Arena Lviv. It kicks off at 17:00. Tickets for the game can be purchased online, on the official site of FC Shakhtar.

FC Shakhtar
Press Office