FC Barcelona with national team captain Ilkay Gündogan and goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen is the big favorite, but for the professional footballers from Shakhtar Donetsk, their second premier class home game in Hamburg is about more than just sport.
“It is very important for us to show the whole world that Ukraine is alive and that no one has managed to destroy us,” Shakhtar managing director Sergei Palkin told the AFP news agency before the game on Tuesday (6:45 p.m. in the FAZ). Live ticker for the Champions League and on DAZN).
“It was very cool”
Barcelona, who won 2-1 in the first leg two weeks ago, are at the top of Group H with an optimal score of nine points. But Donetsk still has a chance of staying in the Champions League with three points. FC Porto is currently second with six points.
For Schachtar, the game against Barcelona is the second home game in exile in Hamburg after the 1:3 against Porto. In September, 46,700 spectators in the Volksparkstadion created a great atmosphere. “It was very cool,” said defender Taras Stepanenko.
In the 2022/23 season, Donetsk played its European Cup home games in Poland, but since Legia Warsaw qualified for the European Cup this season, the Ukrainian club needed a new international home. And landed in Hamburg.
Meanwhile, RB Leipzig has expressly warned its fans about the dangers of the away game against Red Star Belgrade. The club called on its supporters not to wear their fan paraphernalia conspicuously around the city around the Champions League game on Tuesday (6.45 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Champions League and on DAZN). In addition, you should only use authorized taxis and exchange money at official locations. Around 500 Leipzig fans will be in the stadium.
A comment from Christian Kamp Published/Updated: Recommendations: 13 Daniel Theweleit, Dortmund Published/Updated: Recommendations: 5 A comment from Marc Heinrich Published/Updated: Recommendations: 10
The club also links to a fan guide for Belgrade created by an RB supporter, which reports on the experiences of Young Boys Bern fans. Taxi drivers charged excessive fares and allegedly extorted payment by force of arms.
It also happened that the passengers were not dropped off at the desired location. Belgrade played against Bern at the beginning of October, the game ended 2-2. RB fans will now be taken from the center to the stadium by shuttle buses.
