Arda Turan rotated his squad heavily as "Shakhtar" played to a goalless draw against Finnish side "Ilves" in the second leg of their Europa League qualification tie. Following their dominant 6-0 victory in the first match, the Donetsk club comfortably advanced to face Turkish side "Besiktas" in the next round.
"We used this match as another opportunity to prepare for the upcoming season while giving minutes to different players," the Turkish coach might have explained after the match.
Despite fielding what could be considered a reserve team, the Ukrainian side controlled most of the game in Tampere but struggled terribly with finishing. Pedrinho had perhaps the best chance early on, somehow missing the far post from the center of the penalty area after a cross from the left flank. Later, Neverton hit the woodwork twice – once before halftime and again late in the match with what could have been a goal-of-the-round contender.
"Shakhtar" continued dominating possession after the break. Chances fell to Traore, Neverton, and Eginaldo in the center of the box – situations where scoring seemed almost mandatory. But the ball simply wouldn't go in.
Interestingly, the artificial turf in Finland may have affected the visitors' play, especially as the match progressed and the home team managed to slow the tempo down.
Turan attempted to change things through substitutions, bringing on Sudakov among others, but even he couldn't find the net when presented with an opportunity to chip the goalkeeper from outside the box.
By the final whistle from Norwegian referee Mohammad Usman Aslam, the scoreboard remained unchanged. The Ukrainian club's 6-0 advantage from the first leg was more than enough to secure progression.
What's next for both teams? "Shakhtar" moves on to face "Besiktas" in the second qualification round of the Europa League, while "Ilves" drops down to the Conference League where they'll continue their European campaign at the same stage.
Can Turan's men overcome the Turkish giants in the next round? Their finishing will need significant improvement if they hope to advance further in European competition.
