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Barcelona will be looking to seal the top spot in their Champions League group as they take on Shakhtar Donetsk this midweek.
The Catalans have secured three back-to-back wins in group stages so far, and another could all but seal their participation in the Round of 16.
Heading into this game, newly-appointed Shakhtar coach Marino Pusic talked about Barcelona, notably hailing them as one of the best in Europe.
Shakhtar’s lack of home advantage
It must be mentioned that Shakhtar Donetsk do not have the luxury of playing at home for obvious reasons, which is why this particular game will be held in Hamburg, Germany.
Highlighting his team’s lack of home advantage, Pusic said (h/t Diario SPORT), “Unfortunately, we cannot play at home, we have to travel for seven hours.“
“You have to be very strong mentally, but we cannot complain, it is a country at war. We must compete and we are ready to do so against Barça,” he added.
Marino Pusic’s side face a tough test. (Photo by AXEL HEIMKEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Pusic was appointed as the new Shakhtar boss on October 24, with the Dutchman replacing Patrick van Leeuwen.
Nothing but praise for the opponents
Talking about Barcelona, Pusic hailed them as one of the best teams in Europe and stressed the difficulty of this particular encounter.
“We have a lot of time travelling and I have seen many games. We know their strength, they are a wonderful team, one of the best in Europe. It is a challenge to play against them,” he said.
Pusic also talked about Barça’s recent results, adding, “El Clasico is a match that anyone can win and the Anoeta match is a very difficult match against a great team that Barcelona ended up winning.
“It is a great team. I ask my players to compete. It is incredible how they are doing it. They are great professionals, they help each other and form a family.”
Pusic, though, remains upbeat about his team’s chances, especially given the fact that Xavi Hernandez might rely on a…
Source link : https://barcauniversal.com/shakhtar-donetsk-coach-hails-barcelona-as-one-of-the-best-teams-in-europe-ahead-of-champions-league-clash/
Author : Connell Edgar-Jones
Publish date : 2023-11-06 21:01:52
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