Shakhtar boss Mircea Lucescu has called on his side to send out a message to the rest of Europe by putting in a determined display against Juventus tomorrow night.
Having already steered the Donetsk-based outfit into the Champions League knockout stages with a game to spare, the Romanian tactician brushed off suggestions his men would settle for a point from tomorrow’s encounter.
Addressing the media at a lunchtime press conference, Lucescu said: “Tomorrow represents a big exam for us, against a team with great tradition, history and players. This is a game that goes beyond normal fixtures.
“Regardless of our qualification status, football is football, we’re professionals and we’ll take to the field with the desire to win.
“We’re up against an incredibly strong side, who play a type of football I appreciate. They know our strengths and we know theirs. We’re fully motivated and determined to show our hunger on the pitch.”
While the Miners continue to dominate the Ukrainian championship courtesy of a formidable 17 wins from 18 games, Lucescu is keen for his side to push on and confirm themselves as a credible force on Europe’s greatest stage.
“I’ve got a lot of trust and belief in my squad’s desire to give a good account of themselves. It’s extraordinary that the European destiny of two great clubs like Chelsea and Shakhtar depends on us. It’s a real point of pride for my players, the team and the city.”
The 67-year-old will be without Luiz Adriano after the striker was handed a one-match suspension for scoring a controversial goal in Shakhtar’s 5-2 triumph over Nordsjaelland.
Reflecting on the incident and the Brazilian’s absence, Lucescu added: “We admit that we made a mistake, we apologised and agreed to accept whichever punishment came our way. It’s a shame we don’t have Luiz Adriano tomorrow, he’s an important player and has a good record in the Champions League.”
The former Inter coach then moved on to consider the impact of Claudio Marchisio’s suspension for the Bianconeri.
“The loss of Marchisio is a big blow for Juventus. Perhaps his absence will cause Conte to make certain tactical changes, as he did for last Saturday’s game against Torino.”
Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan was on hand to echo his manager’s sentiments: “We always play with a good spirit and will do again tomorrow. We’re very well trained, fully prepared and hope to win. Italian teams are famous for their good defences and “catenaccio” style. We’ve studied the way Juventus play and hope to be able to penetrate their rearguard and beat Buffon, who is a great goalkeeper.”
Source: Juventus.com
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