Optimum Sports : Shakhtar Donetsk

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Thursday, 5 May 2016

Sevilla v Shakhtar Donetsk - Preview

Unai Emery - Getty Images

Sevilla coach Unai Emery believes it will be a big ask for the Europa League champions to reach the final despite their slender advantage over Shakhtar Donetsk.

Kevin Gameiro's late penalty earned Sevilla a 2-2 draw in Ukraine in last week's semi-final first leg and the two sides meet again on Thursday.

Those away goals mean a goalless draw will be enough for Sevilla to progress.

Sevilla will be without midfielder Michael Krohn-Dehli after he was taken off on a stretcher in the first leg with a serious knee injury.

For Shakhtar, Marcio Azevedo is out because of a knee problem, while Dentinho and Oleksandr Hladkyy are doubtful.

The Europa League represents Sevilla's only chance of playing in next season's Champions League after a run of just one win in seven La Liga games ended their league hopes.

Shakhtar, meanwhile, are in good form. They are unbeaten in their previous 10 games, winning seven of them.

The winner of Thursday's semi-final second leg will meet either Liverpool or Villarreal in the final at Basel's St Jakob-Park stadium on 18 May.

Unai Emery, Sevilla coach

To get to a final you have to take your chances. We need to give our opponents as few of them as possible. Both sides want to get to the final and it will be a very even game.

We're expecting the best Shakhtar there is – they won the tournament in 2009 and they're used to winning their league. Their coach is much more experienced than I am. It is a big ask – they'll be 90 tough minutes and we need to be ready for it.

Mircea Lucescu, Shakhtar coach

In Lviv we had a very good first half but failed to convert several counterattacks. Our biggest mistake, though, was that in the second period we sat back on our 2-1 lead, content to keep it that way until the end of the match.

It will be a complicated second leg. Sevilla are European specialists. There aren't many youngsters; it's all experienced players. And they are headed by a strong coach who does his homework on opponents and never fails to put his game plan across

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

Chelsea v Shakhtar Donetsk - Preview

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Ashley Cole has been ruled out of Chelsea's crunch Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday due to injury.

Chelsea will look to get their defence of the UEFA Champions League crown back on track as they seek revenge against Shakhtar Donetsk at Stamford Bridge.

Blues were shocked by the Ukrainian side as they suffered a 2-1 defeat in Donetsk last time out in Europe, with the hosts producing a dominant display.

That result left Roberto Di Matteo's men second in Group E and three points adrift of Shakhtar going into Wednesday's reverse fixture in London.

The defending champions will bid to reclaim the top spot against Mircea Lucescu's side as they look to avoid becoming the first holders in the tournament's history to be dumped out at the group stage.

Chelsea have claimed only four points from their opening three games and with third-placed Juventus just a point behind, Di Matteo will be viewing Wednesday's encounter as must-win tie.

A good result against the visitors would also lift the Blues after they were knocked from the top of the Premier League by Manchester United at the weekend, having been pegged to a late draw at Swansea.

The holders enter the clash boasting an imposing home record on the continent, having won 61 and lost just five of their 88 games in Europe on their own turf.

Shakhtar are yet to lose in all competitions this season and currently sit 12 points clear at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League.

They have never won on English soil but will be feeling confident after an impressive performance against the Blues last month.

John Terry should return to lead the side after completing his four-match domestic racism ban, Juan Mata and David Luiz are expected to shake off knocks that sidelined them at the weekend, but Frank Lampard (calf) is now a major doubt for England's friendly in Sweden next week.

Shakhtar boss Lucescu has the luxury of a full-strength squad at his disposal for the trip to London, with no injuries or suspensions affecting the side.

Defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy could be awarded a starting spot after missing the first tie between the two sides last month.

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Shakhtar Donetsk v Chelsea - Preview

Getty Images

John Terry is expected to captain Chelsea when they continue their defence of the UEFA Champions League trophy against Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine on Tuesday night.

The centre-back is serving a four-match domestic ban for racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand but is set to start in Europe.

Terry, who has received the backing of manager Roberto Di Matteo, will therefore be under full scrutiny when taking on Shakhtar at Donbass Arena.

But Premier League leaders Chelsea, who impressed in Saturday's 4-2 win at Tottenham Hotspur, also have a job to do and cannot afford to be distracted.

After throwing away a two-goal lead to draw against Juventus in their opening game in Group E before defeating Nordsjaelland, the London club have four points.

They sit at the top of the standings but they are level with Shakhtar and the back-to-back games versus Mircea Lucescu's side could be decisive in the long run.

With Juventus preparing for two games against minnows Nordsjaelland, and a probable pair of wins, Di Matteo's Chelsea will know they cannot drop too many points.

And Shakhtar pose far from a simple task, with Lucescu's team currently on a record-breaking 21-match winning run in the Ukraine Premier League.

Lucescu has also spoken of the added motivation of facing the current kings of Europe and is not intimidated by Chelsea's domestic form, having described his side as "stronger than Tottenham".

Frank Lampard, who was a late substitute at the weekend, is likely to join Terry in returning to Chelsea's starting XI against Shakhtar.

Di Matteo has been rotating the midfielder amid reports he could be allowed to move to the MLS in January but the 34-year-old has started all of this season's Champions League matches.

Chelsea did not pick up any new injuries in the victory over Tottenham and so the only decision for Di Matteo is to choose which of his players he wants to rest.

Shakhtar have a full squad to select from and the major threat to Chelsea will be Brazilian playmaker Willian.

The 24-year-old was reportedly the subject of failed bids from Stamford Bridge in the summer and the previous January and Lucescu has predicted his star man will issue a reminder to the English club.