Zarya didn’t get the nicest group. The opinion of the UA-Football editors on the UEL draw



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Of course, many did not have the most optimistic expectations of the Europa League draw in the context of yesterday’s Champions League nightmare. Furthermore, Viktor Skripnik is only creating a basically new team and it is not a given that he will have time to do so before the end of October when the Europa League group round begins.

But that’s how it was, I think at least in the first and third pot we were lucky, and Leicester should become the undoubted favorite of the group, if they show the right attitude towards the tournament. The Portuguese failed to start in the national championship, although they doubled the result of the same “Dawn” (two “bagels”). Also, Carlos Carvalyal’s team did not qualify, which means that in terms of tone of the game at the end of October they will definitely not have an advantage in the context of the Lugansk people.

The Greeks have just started their championship without fail: two victories confident at the start. But Chygrynskiy’s team would have been difficult for Zarya anyway. In the context of a likely rivalry with Milan or Hoffenheim from this basket, AEK was not even considered in the top 5 unwanted options.

The group of the Ukrainian club could be considered a complete raspberry if the conditional “Karabakh” or the Czech “Sparta” were removed from the second basket instead of “Leicester”. Well, here we have no right to enrage the forces of nature. Skripnik’s “worker” group and pupils have every chance for the spring of the European Cup! It remains only to get rid of complacency due to solving the problem of filling the club’s budget for the year, and still trying to exceed it and earn a little more money in European competitions …

Forecast: second place after Leicester and group ranking (7-8 points). Artur Kislyachenko


As a resident of the Zaporozhye region, I was looking forward to the Europa League draw for Zorya. After all, UEFA accredited Slavutich-Arena for group matches, which means that Zorya could bring very interesting and famous teams to town. After all, whatever they say, but the Cossacks still go bad at “Dawn”, as a team, and go to the name of the rival Lugansk. That is why the draw was awaited with special interest. That is why he wanted eminent rivals: the conditional Arsenal, Milan, Celtic, Feyenoord or Tottenham. Of course, there are serious fears that COVID-19 will re-enter and the matches will be held without spectators, but I did not want to believe this or more that Zorya would not leave the group.

As a result, when Zarya got a group with Braga, Leicester and AEK, I was even a little disappointed. Not the loudest names, except Vardi and Chygrynskyy. But overall, she wanted more.


Well, and the possibilities … Even in this group I see a bit of them in “Zarya”. And the point is not that the rivals are stronger, but that “Zorya” did not start this season in the best way, and it is not clear how long it will last. And the main thing is the short bank of the Lugansk people and the simply murderous schedule of the group (6 games for a month and a half). Long-haul flights to Great Britain and Portugal, plus a national championship. I think Zarya won’t be able to chart that calendar in his current state. Thus forecast – fight for 3rd place. Possibly unsuccessful.

It is a pity of course, but it is better not to leave the group with Celtic and Milan than with Braga and AEK. Mikhail Chernysh


Due to the inability to get into the third basket, it was initially difficult to have a very easy draw. But the final version still cannot be called that disgusting.


Leicester is beautiful under the leadership of Brendan Rogers and literally in the last round he dismantled Josep Guardiola’s Manchester City piecemeal. But the depth of the “Foxes” still does not stun the imagination and the club will instantly focus on the national championship if it becomes clear that the forces may not be enough. “Braga” had an extremely uneven season, replacing four (!!!) coaches, and now the fifth coach arrived from last fall. In addition, main star Trincao left the club, having reached an agreement with Barcelona in winter. AEK ended last season with surprise with Massimo Carrera, but objectively in terms of his level, this is the weakest of Zorya’s rivals, and Chygrynskiy-Shakhov’s team can and must face each other.

Read alsoLanguage dares not call the batch successful. UA-Football editorial opinion on the Champions League draw

But how determined to play on two fronts will “Dawn” have, which started hard in the new season and the defeat of “Lvov” only softened the picture – a completely different question. Egor Bobko


Our only representative in the Europa League did not get the most pleasant group possible. It will be really difficult to fight for the exit, but it is quite worth showing.

From the first basket you could really get a much more eminent opponent, but don’t underestimate “Braga”. This is the bronze medalist of the last Portuguese championship. In January, they gave an incredible wound, winning 9 of 10 league games, consistently beating the three giants of Portugal. And after “Porto” and “Sporting” were defeated again already on the way to victory in the League Cup. Subsequently, the head coach and creator of this success Ruben Amorim attracted “Sporting”, but the team is still very prepared for combat.

There is nothing to say about Leicester – this is the team that struggled to get into the Champions League in the Premier League until the final round last season. They started this campaign equally impressively, temporarily leading the championship after three rounds. Brendan Rogers is unlikely to play as the top team in LE, but the level of the players will remain simply unmatched.


As for AEK, these will be the only two matches where Zarya will be able to really compete for points and show herself. The Greek club is used to playing number one, who will only play in the hands of Skripnik’s pressure machine. And the presence of Evgeny Shakhov and Dmitry Chygrynskyy will only illuminate the match for the Ukrainian public.

Forecast: Finishing third would be a success for our team. Zorya could create problems for Braga, as well as trying to take 2-4 points in games with AEK. Vladimir Zuev


This year’s European Cup draw provided opposing Ukrainian clubs with far from being simple (to put it mildly). Thus, Lugansk “Zorya” put their rivals in the group stage of the Europa League. Viktor Skripnik’s team seems like a clear outsider in their group: Braga is a very experienced European fighter, and Brendan Rogers’s Foxes are a solid, high-quality team in themselves (fifth place in the Premier League says it all. ). In fact, Zorya has already completed his main task in European competitions: the team entered the group stage and filled the financial budget for the current season. The most likely is, perhaps, with the Greek AEK, for which the Ukrainians Chygrynsky and Shakhov play. Only here the third position in the group stage of the Europa League still does not give anything in terms of tournament prospects.

The Ukrainian team is expected to bet on achieving results in the Ukrainian championship, and in Europe essentially “number will do”, the team simply does not have enough performance experience at this level and reserves of personnel to fight on two fronts. Yes, the Skripnik sentinels will “fight-fight”, but most likely, alas, they get the scenario from last year’s “Alexandria” campaign in LE: a couple of brilliant fights, but nothing more.

Forecast: Lugansk people will definitely not make it out of the group, with a successful combination of circumstances in matches with AEK they can count on third place. Vladislav Lichik



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