Champions League | League Stage

Nov 6, 2024 at 5.45pm UK

VELTINS-Arena

Shakhtar vs Young Boys

Match preview

After losing to Polissia Zhytomyr and Oleksandriya at the start of the season, Shakhtar have been trying to catch up with the rest of the league. They did well to respond, but they're still a long way off the top.

Despite beating Chornomorets Odesa 2-1 at the weekend, a week after drawing away to Dynamo Kyiv, Shakhtar are still six points behind the two leaders, and a long way behind on the continent.

Shakhtar's start has been pretty tough, and with just one point from their first three games, it looks like it'll be a challenge for them to advance.

The Ukrainian side were pretty lucky to get a point from Bologna on matchday one, and they've since lost to Atalanta and Arsenal, conceding four goals without reply.

Based on how they've been playing and the results so far, it's tough to see where Shakhtar will pick up the points they need to finish in the top 24. They've got trips to PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund coming up, as well as a clash with Bayern Munich.

With just two shots on target across their opening three games, no team has had fewer at this stage of the competition in almost a decade. It's no surprise, then, that Marino Pusic's side are yet to open their account.

This match is Shakhtar's best chance to win, like they did against Young Boys in 2016. They won the first leg 2-0, but lost in Bern and were knocked out on penalties.

If Shakhtar's start has been disappointing, Young Boys' has been pretty disastrous. Things haven't really improved much since Patrick Rahmen was sacked just nine games into the league season last month.

Joel Magnin has stepped in as caretaker and led them to wins over Luzern and Basel. However, they still seem to be a level below the top two, losing in Lugano and drawing 0-0 with Zurich.

The Swiss side's best performance of the season so far was probably on matchday three of this competition. They played Italian champions Inter Milan and almost held them to a 0-0 draw, only for Marcus Thuram to score a winner in the 93rd minute at the Wankdorf Stadium.

That means Red Bull Salzburg are the only other team, along with Young Boys, to have lost their opening three games without scoring. The Swiss champions are only off the bottom of the 36-team standings on goal difference – minus-nine to Slovan Bratislava's minus-10.

Recent Performance

Shakhtar Donetsk Champions League form:DLL

Shakhtar Donetsk form (all competitions):WWLDWL

Young Boys Champions League form:WWLLL

Young Boys form (all competitions):LWLLWD

Team News

The only injury concern for Shakhtar is Tymur Puzankov, who's still recovering from an ACL tear. Dmytro Kryskiv is set to return after missing the last two domestic matches through suspension.

Pusic might play a slightly more attacking game than they did at the Emirates on matchday three, which could give some of their younger Brazilians a chance to gain some Champions League experience.

Marlon Gomes has started the last two matches, and he could be joined in the starting XI by the likes of Pedrinho and Newerton, who have also been given minutes since the Arsenal defeat.

The visitors, Young Boys, will be without a number of defenders for this one due to injury. That's Mats Seiler, Mohamed Camara, Banhie Zoukrou, Patric Pfeiffer and Saidy Janko, who are all currently absent.

Given their tricky league position and tough away match against Zurich this weekend, Magnin couldn't afford to rotate with one eye on this game, as Young Boys were at full strength on Saturday.

Joel Monteiro was sent off in the latter stages of the 0-0 draw, but he'll be available here before serving his suspension at the weekend against Lugano.

Possible starting lineups

Shakhtar Donetsk possible starting lineup:

Riznyk; Konoplya, Graham, Matviienko, Pedrinho; Marlon Gomes, Kryskiv, Sudakov; Eguinaldo, Sikan, Newerton

Young Boys possible starting lineup:

Van Ballmoos; Blum, Lauper, Benito, Hadjam; Lakomy, Ugrinic, Imeri; Virginius, Ganvoula, Monteiro