Tiraspol, September 16 /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The Tiraspol’s Sheriff is continuing to make history. The Pridnestrovian club sensationally debuted in the Champions League, confidently defeating the Donetsk Shakhtar by a 2:0 score. The Yuri Vernidub’s team headed its group
Goals and emotions
The match was held on the Sheriff Sport Complex main arena. The UEFA allowed the 50 per cent of the audience attendance. Everyone, who came to tribunes have witnessed a bright European Cup football. One of the most devoted football fans Evgeniy Korchmar admitted that such an event he was waiting for 24 years. When Sheriff scored the first ball, he didn’t believe his eyes.
“I really enjoyed that at that moment the Sheriff is being, so to speak, in a clever move. The team players just have to overcome their apprehension and will show an excellent result already this autumn,” Tiraspol citizen Evgeniy Korchmar described.
The score was opened by Adama Traore. Malian striker took the audience with a gorgeous goal, which football player dedicated his newborn son. The scored goal of the Traore is the applicant for the best goal title in the first round of the Champions’ League group stage. Additionally, this’s a club record in the number of goals scored in one European Cup season. The fifth goal was scored by Adama Traore.
After the first goal, all tribunes took alarm; the Pridnestrovian club fan movement sang the famous Katyusha song. Then the yellow-blacks accelerated their speed. Until the first halftime, the home team goalkeeper Georgios Athanasiadis scored a determinative save. Several attacking attempts by the Shakhtar players ended with inaccurate strikes. After the match, Shakhtar Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi tried to find any excuses for such a game.
“Football is such a game, where you can always become a loser. I think that today we were very unlucky, while Sheriff, on the contrary, was lucky. However, if we have lost, it means that we are guilty. I think there’re a lot of strong players in my team but we haven’t yet become a strong team. We can only potentially become some like that,” Roberto De Zerbi commented his team game on.
In the second halftime, the yellow-blacks finally disappointed the Italian coach and his team too. The second goal by Guinean legionnaire Momo Yansane closed the matter of Sheriff luck. Two goals in the experienced European club gates it’s no longer an accident, but just a mastership. The yellow-blacks confidently outplayed Shakhtar from Donetsk at domestic field contrary to all the experts’ forecasts as well as bookmaking operations. In communication with journalists, the Sheriff training specialist admitted that he’s an incredibly happy, that he managed to defeat Shakhtar.
“Of course, I’m happy, I’m actually from Ukraine, I’ve been working for nine years at Zarya football club and we’ve always had difficult games with Donetsk. And currently, when I’m a Sheriff head coach and we managed to win the first Champions League group match. This’s a big deal. I’m grateful to all staff as well as the coaching staff members” Yuri Vernidub declared.
Afterwards, the UEFA named the best player after the match. Cristiano da Silva will receive a personal prize from the Union of European Football Associations. The Sheriff Brazilian football player gave two assists in the game against Shakhtar and played reliably in defense.
The commentary
The Tiraspol club is continuing to set records. The Sheriff debuted in the Champions League with a victory over the Shakhtar, earned their first points in the group and even led it (in another football match the Real Madrid minimally outplayed the Inter Milan). The PMR President Vadim Krasnoselsky observed closely the Pridnestrovians’ triumph on the main arena. He was one of the first to congratulate the players on their victory.
“Of course, I was rooting for our team. The Sheriff having played a well-deserved with a truly European level match and made their opponent to be nervous and run around. Their victory was uneasy. Shakhtar persistently possessed the ball, often aimed at the Sheriff gates, making them hold their breath with tension each time. But it was interesting to watch the whole struggle. Tiraspol has confirmed that the club deserves the Champions League,” the PMR President in his Telegram channel wrote.
European and Russian sports editions are writing about Sheriff loud presence in the European League. The famous Italian footballer and coach Carlo Ancelotti spoke about the club from Tiraspol.
“We and Inter are favorites, and we just have taken our advantage. However, no one expected that Sheriff have beaten Shakhtar. We have to be more careful,” Carlo Ancelotti, the Real Madrid training manager said.
Yuri Vernidub’s team will meet with Ancelotti’s one on September 28. The second round match of the Champions League group stage will take place at the famous Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
