PSV Eindhoven vs Shakhtar Donetsk - prediction, team news, lineups

By Oliver Thomas | 08 Sep 2026 14:00, Last updated: 08 Sep 2026 14:55

PSV Eindhoven welcome Shakhtar Donetsk to Philips Stadium for their opening League Phase fixture in the 2026-27 Champions League on Thursday night.

These two teams meet for the first time since November 2024 when the Dutch side mounted an extraordinary comeback to win 3-2 in the League Phase, scoring all three goals from the 87th minute onwards.

PSV Eindhoven have established themselves as the strongest team in the Netherlands having won the Eredivisie title in each of the last three seasons, finishing a whopping 19 clear of their nearest challengers Feyenoord to clinch their 27th top-flight trophy in 2025-26.

Head coach Peter Bosz is now tasked with improving PSV’s fortunes in Europe, after they won just two of their eight League Phase fixtures in last season’s Champions League (D2 L4), finishing down in 28th place and failing to qualify for the knockout rounds.

Competing in the Champions League proper for the 20th time this season - a new Dutch record - PSV have suffered defeat in each of their last five matchday one fixtures in the competition; their last opening win came in 2015-16 when they stunned Manchester United by a 2-1 scoreline on home soil.

PSV have found wins hard to come by in recent home European fixtures, losing four of their last five Champions League matches in Eindhoven (W1) and conceding 17 goals in the process. However, they can draw confidence from their historical record against Ukrainian opponents, prevailing in their last three UCL games against Ukrainian opponents.

The Rood-witten enter Thursday’s contest with Shakhtar in high spirits having won four and drawn one of their opening five Eredivisie fixtures this term, following up a thumping 6-1 victory over Utrecht with a 3-1 success away against Ajax on Saturday to help them climb up to second in the table.

Like PSV, Shakhtar Donetsk are gearing up for their 20th season in the Champions League - the most of any Ukrainian side - after lifting their 16th top-flight title in 2025-26, moving one behind Dynamo Kiev’s record of 17.

The Pitmen will be playing all of their Champions League home matches at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge this season amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, with fixtures against AEK Athens, Sporting Lisbon, Fenerbahce and Real Madrid scheduled across the next four months.

Arda Turan’s side failed to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition last season and were also eliminated in Europa League qualifying, but they did progress to the semi-finals of the Conference League, losing 5-2 on aggregate to eventual winners Crystal Palace.

Although Shakhtar have not qualified for the UCL knockout rounds since the 2017-18 campaign when they reached the round of 16, they have lost just two of their last eight group stage/League Phase games in European competition overall (W5 D1). They have also been beaten in just two of their last seven encounters with Dutch opposition (W3 D2), which bodes well ahead of Thursday’s clash with PSV.

The Pitmen have also made a positive start to their domestic season, winning four of their opening five Ukrainian Premier League games (L1), including a 2-1 comeback victory away against Karpaty LVIV last weekend.

Shakhtar Donetsk form (all competitions):

PSV Eindhoven will be without Alassane Plea (knock), Jerdy Schouten (ACL), Sam Ouaissa (hamstring), Kiliann Sildillia and Dennis Man (both unspecified) due to injury, while Mauro Junior is suspended for the opening League Phase fixture.

Sam Lammers could be available to return this week after making progress in his recovery from a knock, while Ruben van Bommel was fit to start against Ajax last time out and could retain his starting spot on the left flank.

Ricardo Pepi scored a 95th-minute winner in the aforementioned win over Shakhtar in 2024, while he has begun the new season with three goals in his first five matches, and the USA international is expected to lead the line once again.

As for Shakhtar Donetsk, Kiril Fesyun’s career has been put on hold after suffering heart complications caused by a tick borne infection, while Pedrinho (hamstring), Marlon (muscle) and Eguinaldo (shoulder) also remain in the treatment room.

Eighteen-year-old wingers Bruninho and Ryan Roberto are both in contention to make their Champions League debuts after joining the club from their native Brazil in the summer, though a start for either youngster on Thursday is unlikely.

Kaua Elias, who has scored three goals in five matches so far this season, will battle with Luca Meirelles for a start up front, while Alisson, Newerton and Gleiker Mendoza are all contenders to begin out wide.

Kovar; Dest, Geertruida, Obispo, Kostic; Sano, Fernandez; Perisic, Til, Van Bommel; Pepi

Shakhtar Donetsk possible starting lineup:

Riznyk; Karavaev, Bondar, Matvienko, Henrique; Ocheretko, Nazaryna, Gomes; Alisson, Elias, Newerton

Both teams have enjoyed positive starts on the domestic front heading into this opening fixture, and an entertaining, end-to-end contest could be in store at the Philips Stadion.

While Shakhtar have the credentials to cause problems for the hosts on the counter-attack, Bosz’s side should ultimately find a way to edge this close encounter on home soil and snap their five-match opening-day losing streak in the Champions League.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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