FC Shakhtar Donetsk vs Malmo FF - Shakhtar Donetsk seek Malmo defeat to keep Champions League hopes alive
Posted Monday, November 02, 2015 by PA
Only a home win against Malmo on Tuesday will be good enough for Shakhtar Donetsk to keep their hopes alive of remaining in European football competition in the new year.
A 1-0 loss at Malmo a fortnight ago was Shakhtar's third defeat in the Champions League and left last season's Ukrainian runners-up at the foot of Group A with no points.
As it is, Shakhtar still have a faint hope of advancing in the Champions League and there is also the possibility of finishing third and taking part in the Europa League.
Malmo are third behind heavyweights Real Madrid and Paris St Germain, who lead the Group A standings.
Real and PSG are unbeaten, level on seven points and set to face off in Spain on Tuesday.
Skakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu says his side should have done better in Sweden but is hoping his team will make amends when Malmo come to town.
"Our defeat at Malmo was painful," Lucescu said on his club's official website. "We were unlucky not to score considering the chances we had and we gave away a goal that we should have avoided.
"We must now win by a two-goal margin, because I believe that we are stronger than Malmo."
Shakhtar warmed up for the encounter at the Lviv Arena by thrashing Zorya 7-1 on Friday.
Taras Stepanenko, Alex Texeira and Eduardo each scored twice in that win and are expected to start on Tuesday.
The outcome in Luhansk kept Shakhtar at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League standings, level on 31 points with Dynamo Kiev.
"We really wanted to win this match," Shakhtar goalkeeper Anton Kanibolotsky said. "We gave everything for the victory and we got the win we wanted.
"Luck was on our side and we hope we can build on this result."
Shakhtar will need to show a vast improvement as they only won one of their for home games in the competition last season.
Malmo had lost their previous six group games before Markus Rosenberg's goal earned them a victory over Tuesday night's opponents in the last round.
Age Hareide's side travel to Ukraine after Saturday's 2-0 home loss over newly-crowned champions Norrkoping in their final domestic game of the campaign.
Malmo ended the campaign in fifth place, 12 points adrift of Norkoping, after winning 15 and losing six of their 30 games.
The Swedish side knows that anything but a defeat in Ukraine could see them secure third place and a spot in the Europa League next year.
"It will be an exciting game in Ukraine," Hareide said on his club's official website. "For us a draw is enough."
The visitors are without the services of reserve goalkeeper Zlatan Azinovic and midfielder Guillermo Molins, both sidelined with knee injuries.
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