The Young Boys play their fourth Champions League match on Wednesday (6:45 p.m. – RTS2) in Gelsenkirchen. The Bernese face the Ukrainians of Shakhtar Donetsk.
The two clubs have not shone so far in this League phase, with three defeats for YB, which occupies 35th and penultimate place in the ranking, and two losses and a draw for Shakhtar (29th). Suffice it to say that this confrontation is eagerly awaited on both sides.
Joël Magnin does not want to hear about additional pressure. “YB wants to win every game, including against Shakhtar“, launched the Bernese coach. But the facts and the rankings do not lie: in the event of another defeat, or even a draw, the hopes of securing a place among the first 24 would become very slim.
Many injured
YB currently has numerous injuries, particularly in its defensive sector with eight absentees. “We must accept the situation and make the best of it“, philosophized the Neuchâtelois. To flesh out the setting, several U21 players made the trip to the Ruhr town.
Cruelly beaten in stoppage time by Inter Milan during their previous game, the Bernese hope to avoid another disappointment. “In this competition, all opponents are strong. We showed against Inter that we could put in a good performance. We will have to repeat this against Shakhtar to take points.“
The Bernese delegation flew from Belp on Tuesday at midday with 22 players on board. In the stadium which usually hosts Schalke 04, YB will be supported by 800 supporters.
ats/efas
Swiss
