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

PSV Eindhoven invited Shakhtar Donetsk to Philips Stadium for their opening League Phase fixture successful the 2026-27 Champions League connected Thursday night.

These 2 teams conscionable for the archetypal clip since November 2024 erstwhile the Dutch broadside mounted an bonzer comeback to triumph 3-2 successful the League Phase, scoring each 3 goals from the 87th infinitesimal onwards.

Match preview

PSV Eindhoven person established themselves arsenic the strongest squad successful the Netherlands having won the Eredivisie rubric successful each of the past 3 seasons, finishing a whopping 19 wide of their nearest challengers Feyenoord to clinch their 27th top-flight trophy successful 2025-26.

Head manager Peter Bosz is present tasked with improving PSV’s fortunes successful Europe, aft they won conscionable 2 of their 8 League Phase fixtures successful past season’s Champions League (D2 L4), finishing down successful 28th spot and failing to suffice for the knockout rounds.

Competing successful the Champions League due for the 20th clip this play - a caller Dutch grounds - PSV person suffered decision successful each of their past 5 matchday 1 fixtures successful the competition; their past opening triumph came successful 2015-16 erstwhile they stunned Manchester United by a 2-1 scoreline connected location soil.

PSV person recovered wins hard to travel by successful caller location European fixtures, losing 4 of their past 5 Champions League matches successful Eindhoven (W1) and conceding 17 goals successful the process. However, they tin gully assurance from their humanities grounds against Ukrainian opponents, prevailing successful their past 3 UCL games against Ukrainian opponents.

The Rood-witten participate Thursday’s contention with Shakhtar successful precocious spirits having won 4 and drawn 1 of their opening 5 Eredivisie fixtures this term, pursuing up a thumping 6-1 triumph implicit Utrecht with a 3-1 occurrence distant against Ajax connected Saturday to assistance them ascent up to 2nd successful the table.

Like PSV, Shakhtar Donetsk are gearing up for their 20th play successful the Champions League - the astir of immoderate Ukrainian broadside - aft lifting their 16th top-flight rubric successful 2025-26, moving 1 down Dynamo Kiev’s grounds of 17.

The Pitmen volition beryllium playing each of their Champions League location matches astatine Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge this play amid Russia’s ongoing penetration of Ukraine, with fixtures against AEK Athens, Sporting Lisbon, Fenerbahce and Real Madrid scheduled crossed the adjacent 4 months.

Arda Turan’s broadside failed to suffice for Europe’s premier nine contention past play and were besides eliminated successful Europa League qualifying, but they did advancement to the semi-finals of the Conference League, losing 5-2 connected aggregate to eventual winners Crystal Palace.

Although Shakhtar person not qualified for the UCL knockout rounds since the 2017-18 run erstwhile they reached the circular of 16, they person mislaid conscionable 2 of their past 8 radical stage/League Phase games successful European contention wide (W5 D1). They person besides been beaten successful conscionable 2 of their past 7 encounters with Dutch absorption (W3 D2), which bodes good up of Thursday’s clash with PSV.

The Pitmen person besides made a affirmative commencement to their home season, winning 4 of their opening 5 Ukrainian Premier League games (L1), including a 2-1 comeback triumph distant against Karpaty LVIV past weekend.

PSV Eindhoven signifier (all competitions):

Shakhtar Donetsk signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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

Sam Lammers could beryllium disposable to instrumentality this week aft making advancement successful his betterment from a knock, portion Ruben van Bommel was acceptable to commencement against Ajax past clip retired and could clasp his starting spot connected the near flank.

Ricardo Pepi scored a 95th-minute victor successful the aforementioned triumph implicit Shakhtar successful 2024, portion helium has begun the caller play with 3 goals successful his archetypal 5 matches, and the USA planetary is expected to pb the enactment erstwhile again.

As for Shakhtar Donetsk, Kiril Fesyun’s vocation has been enactment connected clasp aft suffering bosom complications caused by a tick borne infection, portion Pedrinho (hamstring), Marlon (muscle) and Eguinaldo (shoulder) besides stay successful the attraction room.

Eighteen-year-old wingers Bruninho and Ryan Roberto are some successful contention to marque their Champions League debuts aft joining the nine from their autochthonal Brazil successful the summer, though a commencement for either youngster connected Thursday is unlikely.

Kaua Elias, who has scored 3 goals successful 5 matches truthful acold this season, volition conflict with Luca Meirelles for a commencement up front, portion Alisson, Newerton and Gleiker Mendoza are each contenders to statesman retired wide.

PSV Eindhoven imaginable starting lineup:

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

Shakhtar Donetsk imaginable starting lineup:

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

We say: PSV Eindhoven 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk

Both teams person enjoyed affirmative starts connected the home beforehand heading into this opening fixture, and an entertaining, end-to-end contention could beryllium successful store astatine the Philips Stadion.

While Shakhtar person the credentials to origin problems for the hosts connected the counter-attack, Bosz’s broadside should yet find a mode to borderline this adjacent brushwood connected location ungraded and drawback their five-match opening-day losing streak successful the Champions League.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.