After Shakhtar Donetsk hung on to seal a Europa League place at Inter Milan’s expense, centre-back Mykola Matviyenko could not resist a dig at Antonio Conte’s £75 million talisman.
“My thanks to (Romelu) Lukaku – he helped us block one of the last shots on target,” quipped the Ukraine international after the Belgium international inadvertently impeded a goal-bound effort from teammate Alexis Sanchez with just seconds remaining at the San Siro.
But perhaps Matviyenko was better off thanking his goalkeeper instead. After all, he and the rest of the Shakhtar squad owe an almighty debt of gratitude to the true hero of the piece.
Aged just 19, goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin announced himself on the Champions League stage with a coming-of-age performance that will go down in Shakhtar folklore – and haunt the dreams of an exasperated Inter side whose European adventure came to a premature conclusion on home soil.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen have been watching Trubin in recent months, as reported by Corriere dello Sport, and his Man of the Match display in Milan will have had scouts from all across the continent in a spin.
Trubin made four saves on the night, justifying Luis Castro’s decision to start him ahead of 36-year-old Shakhtar legend Andriy Pyatov with Europa League qualification on the line.
The teenager needed every centremetre of his 6ft 6ins frame to brilliantly tip a Lukaku header over the bar in the second half, showcasing the kind of razor-sharp reflexes which explain why Arsenal, Chelsea and co have taken a keen interest.
According to Corriere, Trubin earns just £1,000-a-week at Shakhtar Donetsk. Surely, after that performance, he deserves a pay rise.
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