Valeriy Bondar: Shakhtar did not deserve to lose against Inter

Shakhtar Donetsk defender Valeriy Bondar has reflected on his team's narrow loss to Inter Milan in the Champions League. Despite the result, the defender expressed frustration, feeling that the team did not earn such a negative outcome.

Inter are a very good, qualified team, the champions of Italy. I think it doesn't matter for them whether they play with ten or eleven men. It is a disappointing defeat, which I believe we did not deserve. Valeriy Bondar

Bondar analyzed the decisive moment of the match, identifying a lost ball in midfield as the catalyst for the Italian side's winning goal. He noted that the team failed to reorganize quickly enough to track the opponent's run.

You can always avoid goals, especially unnecessary ones like this. But we lost the ball and didn't have time to react. A good pass went behind me, the opponent ran through and scored. It is a game of moments: they converted theirs, we didn't. Valeriy Bondar

Reflecting on the lessons learned, the defender emphasized the need for consistent focus. He acknowledged that to compete at the highest level against opponents like Inter, the team must eliminate defensive lapses.