Ukrainian club Shakhtar concluded their participation in this season's Champions League, playing against Porto with a score of 3:5 in the last match of the group stage. Despite equal points prior to this meeting, Shakhtar had insufficient additional indicators, which forced them to take the third place in the group. Nevertheless, the Ukrainians secured a place in the Europa League playoffs. Goalkeeper Dmitry Reznik played a tense match for Shakhtar in Brave GK Diamond White gloves.
After the match, Dmitry Reznik shared his impressions and evaluated Shakhtar's performance in this year's Champions League. According to him, although the team did not win the match, the players gave their all in terms of effort and skill until the last minute. Reznik emphasized that football can be unpredictable, and this time the team made several mistakes.
Head coach, Marino Pušić, expressed support for the team and said that despite the desire to continue in the Champions League, they will focus on the Europa League.
It should be noted that Reznik saved the team in many moments. Nevertheless, there were five goals conceded. He called for analyzing events, learning lessons, and moving forward. This game will definitely make the team stronger, and Shakhtar will improve their results in the future. Moreover, Dmitry Reznik evaluated his debut season in the Champions League as not bad, acknowledging that there is always room for improvement. He highlighted the match against Barcelona as particularly memorable in this tournament.
Brave GK Diamond White is a model with a Rollfinger cut, which differs from the classic version in two important features. Firstly, small ventilation holes between the fingers make the gloves comfortable in any season. Secondly, there's no usual seam between the middle and index fingers, a characteristic of the Rollfinger cut gloves. It's simply absent here.
This new generation of Brave GK Diamond provides an even higher level of comfort and convenience, making them ideal for professional athletes. The modified Rollfinger cut adds extra benefits to the existing features such as elite German latex base, comfortable fit, and excellent grip.
Inside the palm of the Brave GK Diamond White are silicone inserts, providing perfect ball control. Latex on the thumb forms an ergonomic shape and ensures a snug fit. An elastic fabric cuff provides additional wrist support.
These goalkeeper gloves are suitable for playing in rainy weather, sub-zero temperatures, and wind.
The lineup chosen by head coach Marino Pušić included goalkeeper Dmitry Reznik, defenders Yaroslav Rakitskiy and Valeriy Bondar, with Georgiy Gocholava (right) and Mykola Matviyenko (left) on the flanks of the defense. In midfield, Artem Bondarenko and Georgiy Sudakov played alongside Taras Stepanenko, with Dmitry Kryskiv and Oleksandr Zubkov as wingers, and Daniil Sikan as the center forward.
The game started with a dangerous moment created by the hosts when Taremi headed a ball from the corner of the box, but Reznik made a brilliant save. However, in the 9th minute, the Portuguese managed to score, with Galeno scoring into an empty net following a pass from Evanilson after Pepe's delivery. Shakhtar could have responded when Sikan headed the ball after Sudakov's cross, but it went over the bar.
After conceding, Shakhtar took the initiative, and in the 29th minute, Stepanenko made a beautiful pass to Zubkov, who successfully beat the opponents, scoring a goal. However, before the break, the Portuguese again took the lead as Galeno scored in the 43rd minute with a powerful long-range shot, touching Bondarenko's leg.
The second half began with a dangerous header from Taremi, once again brilliantly saved by Reznik. The "Miners" actively sought opportunities for quick attacks, but in the 62nd minute, Galeno scored again. Shakhtar didn't give up and reduced the deficit in the 72nd minute when Sikan struck after a delivery into the box. However, three minutes later Pepe scored the fourth goal for Porto, and then Conceição hit the fifth goal in the 82nd minute. But Shakhtar didn't surrender, and two minutes before the end of regular time, Egineldo struck, finishing the score at 3:5 in favor of Porto.
After the winter break, the "Miners" will continue their journey in the UEFA Europa League, with their opponent to be determined in the draw next Monday. Also, on December 18, Shakhtar awaits a charity match with FC Avispa Fukuoka at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
