Donetsk secures further matches in the European Football Cup
Hamburg can look forward to more games with Shakhtar Donetsk in the European Cup. In their third appearance at the Volksparkstadion, the Ukrainian club secured third place in the group stage of the Champions League ahead of time with a 1:0 (1:0) win over Royal Antwerp - and thus at least a place in the Europa League play-offs. With one matchday still to play, the Ukrainians can still progress in the top flight.
Mykola Matwijenko (12th minute) scored the winner for Donetsk on Tuesday. The Belgians, who are coached by former Bundesliga professional Mark van Bommel, therefore finish last in the group stage. The Dutchman had coached VfL Wolfsburg for just over three months in 2021.
Donetsk's other European Cup matches will probably also be played at the Volksparkstadion. According to dpa information, it is currently only a matter of final approvals once it is clear in which competition the club will continue. Due to the Russian war of aggression, Shakhtar's home games will no longer take place in Ukraine.
In the first game at Volkspark in September, the Ukrainians lost 3-1 to FC Porto, while in the second home game Shakhtar upset the weak Spanish top club FC Barcelona and deservedly won 1-0.
Shakhtar Donetsk will continue their Europa League campaign at the Volksparkstadion, as they secured a spot in the Europa League play-offs with their Champions League performance. Royal Antwerp, on the other hand, will miss out on the Champions League next season, finishing last in their group.
Source: www.dpa.com
