This evening, at the National Stadium, Ħamrun Spartans face what could be their toughest opponent so far in their impressive European journey as they host Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk in Matchday 5 of the UEFA Conference League.
Coach Giacomo Modica expressed his satisfaction at having had sufficient time to prepare for this match, as the team was not involved in any fixtures over the past 10 days.
Speaking about the opponents, Modica said that in his opinion this is the most difficult team in this round.
“In my opinion, this is the hardest opponent in this round. We will approach Shakhtar with maximum respect, but also with the confidence to play our game. We need to be smart, because they have players with great individual technical abilities, and we must approach them with intelligence.”
Speaking also ahead of tonight’s match, Emerson Marcelina acknowledged the strength of Shakhtar, noting he knows several of their Brazilian players from their time in Brazil. “We all know that Shakhtar are a strong team,” he said, adding that one of their players told him the club’s objective is to win the Conference League, a sign of their ambition.
Despite that, he insisted Ħamrun will not shy away from the challenge. “At home, we’re strong. We showed that in the first two games, and even the last one we won. Now we just need to stay calm.”
He expressed gratitude for experiencing this European run with his teammates and the Maltese supporters, saying the squad is committed to putting the coach’s ideas into practice. Respect for Shakhtar is important, he said, but Ħamrun have already proven they can compete at this level.
“The fans are always important,” he added, confident their backing at the National Stadium will make a difference. “We know they’ll be behind us from the first minute, and hopefully by the end we’ll all go home happy.”
Ħamrun Spartans vs Shakhtar Donetsk will be played tonight at 9pm at the National Stadium.
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