Shakhtar Donetsk Plays Champions League Match in London
Ukrainian Club Faces AEK Athens at Stamford Bridge Due to Lack of Home Stadium
Shakhtar Donetsk's 2026/27 Champions League group stage match is set to take place at Stamford Bridge in London, against AEK Athens. The fixture arises because UEFA does not permit matches on Ukrainian territory due to the armed conflict preventing the club from using its arena in Donetsk.
Why Shakhtar Plays Outside Ukraine
Since 2014, when Russian forces occupied the Donbass region, Shakhtar lost its Donbass Arena stadium, training center, and fan base. The club began using cities like Lviv, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Poland, and Germany for its matches, but the war still prevents its return to its homeland.
London Chosen as Temporary Home
For the 2026/27 season, the club opted for Stamford Bridge because Chelsea is not competing in European tournaments, making the stadium available on competition dates. The decision also considered the presence of over 217,000 Ukrainians in the United Kingdom, who can offer support to the team.
Logistical and Squad Challenges
Long displacements require player rotation every three days. Shakhtar has approximately 26 to 27 athletes in its squad and uses this strategy to reduce physical wear and tear between the Ukrainian league and the Champions League.
Predicted Lineups for the Match
For Shakhtar, the probable lineup includes Dmytro Riznyk in goal; a defense of Vinicius Tobias, Pedro Henrique, Mykola Matviyenko, and Valeriy Bondar; a midfield with Alisson Santana, Marlon Gomes, and Oleg Ocheretko; and an attack formed by Isaque, Gleiker Mendoza, and Kaua Elias. For AEK Athens, the team is expected to feature Alberto Brignoli in goal; a defense of Filipe Relvas, Harold Moukoudi, Stavros Pilios, and Lazaros Rota; a midfield of Milan Vitalis, Razvan Marin, Aboubakary Koita, and Lovro Majer; and an attack of Zini and Luka Jovic.
Importance of Points in the League Phase
With four wins and one draw in their last five Ukrainian championship matches, Shakhtar aims to maintain their unbeaten streak and earn points to move out of the elimination zone. AEK Athens, also in good form, needs positive results to advance to the knockout stages. Both teams occupy low positions in the group stage table, making this match crucial for qualification.
With information from ge, Goal.com.
Source: ge, Goal.com