If Mkhitaryan Scored a Goal, Things Would’ve Been Different: Coach

After the match with Cyprus’ APOEL FC, Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Dontesk coach Mircea Lucescu declared that the team lacked a “dash of vigor” in attack.

“When we encounter an organized and powerful side, which just drop back to camp in their own box, this becomes crucial ultimately. Perhaps, if we had scored, the opposing side would have opened up, making it easier for us.

“The goalkeeper played confidently enough. Had [Armenian midfielder Henrikh] Mkhitaryan scored in one of those episodes, everything could have been otherwise. But the Cypriot goalie was noble in his actions while flinging himself down to Henrikh’s feet to stop the ball. You can’t help it when it’s not your lucky day and the ball fails to find the back of the net. On several occasions the Cypriots saved a few balls, the latter’s being out of reach notwithstanding,” said Lucescu, according to Shakhtar’s official website.

Recall, the APOEL-Shakhtar match ended in a draw (1-1). Mkhitaryan was on the field for 90 minutes.