On November 28, in the fifth round of the Champions League, Shakhtar met with the Belgian club Antwerp at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg. In this exciting confrontation, the miners won with a score of 1:0. Thanks to this victory, the Donetsk club guaranteed itself a place in the Europa League playoffs one round before the end of the group stage. At the same time, the miners retain a chance for second place and the Champions League playoffs.
Goalkeeper Dmitry Reznik, ambassador of Brave GK, made a huge contribution to the victory over Antwerp, brilliantly defending the goal, keeping it impregnable throughout the match. Just one mistake by the Ukrainian goalkeeper would have put Shakhtar's victory into serious question, but Reznik was unyielding. The statistical portal WhoScored highly rated his performance, including him in the symbolic team of the 5th round of the Champions League with a rating of 8.3 points. At the same time, the SofaScore portal gave Dmitry an even higher rating – 9.0 points, also highlighting him as the best goalkeeper of the past round of the Champions League.
By the way, for the second round in a row, a Ukrainian player becomes the best goalkeeper of the Champions League. Now it's Reznik, and in the 4th round, it was Andrey Lunin, goalkeeper of Real Madrid, who was recognized for saving a penalty in the match against Braga. In short, Ukrainians continue to dominate in this tournament, and it's an inspiring trend.
Brave GK Diamond White marks its first year among the best training and game goalkeeper gloves. This model combines outstanding technology and innovative design to provide goalkeepers with unparalleled control and comfort on the field.
4 mm Supreme Contact latex with foam lining (made in Germany) create an ideal combination of grip and wear resistance. The modified Rollfinger with ventilation and no seam between the fingers provides an unmatched fit, and the Fix Fit system with silicone inserts inside the palm guarantees maximum ball control. Without protective inserts on the fingers, these Brave GK Diamond White gloves are also suitable for all weather conditions, including rain, wind, and sub-zero temperatures. The white-blue color design adds style and elegance, and the elastic latex strap with velcro fastening ensures quick and reliable attachment.
The anatomical shape of the glove with the palm wrapping around the thumb creates an ergonomic fit, and the locking cuff made of highly elastic fabric provides additional wrist support. Brave GK Diamond White is not just gloves, it is a reliable partner in every match, ready to withstand any playing conditions.
Approaching this meeting with 6 points and occupying third place in the group, Shakhtar faced the Belgians, who had not earned any points in the previous 4 games. Head coach of the "orange-blacks" Marino Pusic made just one change to the starting lineup compared to the previous European cup match against Barcelona (1:0), sending Irakli Azarov to the left flank of the defense.
The game started energetically, with the Ukrainians threatening the opponent's goal. Although Nevertov failed to score from outside the box in the very beginning, in the 12th minute Zubkov from a free kick on the left flank sent a cross to the near post, and Matvienko with a diving header opened the score – 1:0. The Belgians took the initiative in the middle of the half, creating several dangerous moments. However, Dmitry Reznik repeatedly saved his team, deflecting shots and ricochets.
The second half was also eventful. Despite Balikwisha's missed opportunities, Reznik acted steadily. The "miners" created two magnificent moments: Azarov's strong shot was turned into the crossbar by the goalkeeper of Antwerp, and Stepanenko's signature shot hit the crossbar through the hands of Butez. On the 70th minute, Artem Bondarenko returned to the field after an injury, replacing Nevertov. Throughout the second half, Shakhtar controlled the situation, breaking up the Belgians' attacks even at the distant approaches to their penalty area. The game ended with a 1:0 victory for Shakhtar, securing the team's progress to the spring part of the European cups. Also, the "miners" have a chance to fight for the Champions League 1/8 finals – for this, they need to win away against Porto on December 13.
Reznik demonstrated excellent performance in the match against Antwerp, making several crucial saves (a total of 6), which significantly impacted the morale of the opponent. His active participation in the ball possession system combined with interaction with the central defenders highlight him as an important element of the team. It should be noted that Reznik took the place of the main goalkeeper of Shakhtar after the transfer of Anatoliy Trubin to Benfica this year. Many Ukrainian experts highlight the confident progress of the Donetsk goalkeeper recently.
This coming Sunday, December 3, the "orange-blacks" are set to face UPL's "Metalist 1925" at the "Arena Lviv" at 17:00.
