Luiz Adriano upbeat ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk’s UEFA Champions League quarter final against Barcelona
The Ukrainian side, Shakhtar Donetsk’s, have reached the Quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time and will take on Spanish giants, Barcelona, in the first leg of the tie on April 6, 2011 at Camp Nou.
Shakhtar striker, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Luiz-Adriano-c22841, has urged his teammates to stay focused ahead of the big occasion.
The 23-year old expressed that the miners have been in decent form and they could cause an upset by staying focused. He added that no one can pick a winner in the game of football until the final whistle is blown.
The Brazilian hailed the Catalan club mentioning that Barcelona are one of the top sides in the world with some big names associated with them. He claimed that Shakhtar would not be allowed to settle down at Camp Nou but believes that if the team’s focus remains intact then a chance for a place in the semi-finals would remain alive.
He further mentioned that, "Barcelona are a great team, one of the best in the world, and every match we play we make history, so we have to be very focused", said the striker to UEFA.com. “Barcelona's advantage is that they are playing at home”.
Adriano was positive ahead of facing the Catalan side and expressed his delight over the presence of several Brazilians in the Miners line up. He added that it gets a bit easier working with fellow countrymen and claimed that the presence of Brazilians in the Shakhtar line up has resulted in the club’s success.
The 23-year old added that, "It helps having so many Brazilians because we have worked together for a long time. Nonetheless, we all help one another − not just the Brazilians, but everyone".
Adriano joined the Ukrainian outfit in 2007 and since then has 23 goals from 64 League appearances. The Moles are currently leading the Ukrainian Premier League flight with 61 points and 12 points clear of the second placed Dynamo Kyiv.
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