On Palace’s earlier meeting in the Conference League with Dynamo Kyiv, another Ukrainian side…
Usually they play in a 4-3-3 system, but Dynamo Kyiv changed it against us. They played a back five, so we were really surprised.
I always have huge respect for every opposition, but I honestly think the individual quality of Shakhtar Donetsk is a bit higher compared to Dynamo Kyiv. I think you can see it in the league table – they're 13 points ahead of Dynamo now.
The mix in the team of Shakhtar is quite interesting. They're playing with experienced Ukrainian internationals, usually the goalkeeper, both centre-backs, and No. 6. And then depending, six or seven young Brazilian players, technical players, quick players.
Also credit to the manager, to Arda Turan. It's not just technical football. This team is also really very hard-working in defence, a clear structure defensively, playing in a 4-4-2 block and really shifting well and being very tight so that you don't find space easily, and then waiting for the transitions with the quick players.
It will be a great challenge for all of us, but I think that Shakhtar is a bit ahead compared to Dynamo Kyiv.
On Ukrainian football as a whole…
For me it's not so easy to talk about Ukrainian football, because there’s a much more important topic that should be solved before we talk about football – but I have huge respect for everyone that the football league is still going on and can be played with the war going on there.
Ukrainian football is very technical football. The national team is playing very technically, and I remember they lost just against Sweden with almost 70% possession. It's very possession based, usually playing in a 4-3-3.
Shakhtar is maybe the top team in the Ukrainian league. I watched their last game, they won 3-1, and they made eight changes – so we watched also the Ukrainian league games.
We're well prepared. I think my staff really are always very well prepared, watching many, many games, and also we can see what are their strengths and also what maybe what are their weaknesses.
But Ukrainian football for me is a very technical football, very possession-based football. And Shakhtar, of course, with all their Brazilian players, are the same.
