SHAKHTAR DONETSK will look to sucker punch Celtic in the same way they did to RB Leipzig last week as manager Igor Jovicevic warned Ange Postecoglou’s men that his team don’t need to dominate the ball to win.
Donetsk shocked the Bundesliga side by winning 4-1 in Germany last week on the opening matchday in Champions League Group F despite only having 39 percent of possession, and Jovicevic is expecting a similar type of match when his men come up against Celtic.
The Croatian is convinced that his team have the pace and the firepower at their disposal, including the in-form former Celt Marian Shved, to hurt the Scottish champions on the counter.
“As far as the Leipzig game is concerned it showed what were capable of,” Jovicevic said.
“The team has the victorious mentality which is important going forwards.
“It shows we are capable of winning regardless of whether we have the ball or not and you can play a very good game even when you don’t have the ball all the time.
“Tomorrow’s rival is a very good club and is in very good shape. But there are different ways to think of how to win even if one does not have the ball at all times.
“Against Leipzig we had 39 percent yet we could still win the game. It’s important to play tough during the game, so I’m convinced we’ll play as well as we did against Leipzig and we are ready for the victory, so we have this very positive outlook.”
Jovicevic is expecting Celtic to face a hostile crowd despite the match being played in Legia Warsaw’s 31,800 capacity Stadion Wojska Polskiego.
“We’re expecting a full house,” he said. “Full to the very brim, and we need the fans to share their impetus and energy and drive with us so we can fight during this game from the first to last minute and to win.
“We are going to be playing for our fans, for all those people out there. All those people who come to the stadium who are having their own difficulties.
“They have their own personal problems to deal with but we play for them and with them so we expect to have a very good game.
“If we look at our rivals they’re always the favourites - Leipzig were favourites, Celtic are favourites, Real will be favourites.
“We won’t be but we will do our job modestly bit by bit and do what needs to be done. We will show what can be done and what we’re capable of doing. We will play to win.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel