Shakhtar Donetsk vs Gent is the first meeting between the two sides, as Shakhtar are looking to continue their great start in Group H of the Europa League. Shakhtar, however, will have to be warned as the Belgium side reached the round of 16 of the Champions League last season.
Like Shakhtar, Gent are unbeaten in this season’s Europa League season, as they drew Portuguese side Sporting Braga 1-1 and beat Konyaspor 2-0. Shakhtar meanwhile defeated Konyaspor 1-0, and Braga 2-0, which firmly established them as the favourites to win Group H.
Despite the fact that Shakthar drew city rivals Olimpik Donetsk 1-1 (more on this here) on the weekend, they are also clear leaders in the Ukrainian Premier League, as they are six points clear of their fierce rivals Dynamo Kyiv, who were held to a draw by Chornomorets Odesa on the weekend.
New Shakhtar Donetsk coach Paulo Fonseca can therefore look with real confidence towards both the UPL season, and the Europa League season, as Shakhtar are poised to regain their position as the number one in Ukrainian football.
A victory against Gent would place Shakhtar on an early path towards the round of 32 in the Europa League—the minimum goal set by the Miners following the rather disappointing exit from the UEFA Champions League playoffs (read more about this in our Shakhtar Donetsk Europa League preview).
The Ukrainians have never been defeated by a Belgium team when playing at home in Ukraine, and indeed in ten matches Shakhtar has only lost once to a Belgium club—1-0 to Club Brugge in the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
Even with the rather disappointing tie against city rivals Olimpik Donetsk, Shakhtar have had a remarkable season so far in the UPL, as they remain unbeaten in domestic competitions.
Gent on the other hand are fourth in the Belgium First Division A, two points behind leaders SV Zulte Waregem. Gent have shown this season that they can compete for the domestic title, on the other hand two defeats in the first ten matches means that they have shown less consistency than their Ukrainian opponents.
In fact Shakhtar Donetsk, alongside the English club FC Southampton and Hapoel Be’er Sheva FC from Israel, are the only three clubs that have not conceded a goal yet.
KAA Gent should provide an interesting challenge for Paulo Fonseca’s men on Thursday in Lviv. But ultimately the Ukrainians have shown time and time again this season that they mean business, and that they might very well be one of the clubs to challenge for the Europa League title this season. Anything but a dominant Shakhtar victory on Thursday would therefore be a major surprise.
Possible Line-ups
Shakhtar Donetsk:
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Pyatov – Ismaily, Ordets, Kucher, Srna – Stepanenko, Fred – Taison (Bernard), Kovalenko, Marlos – Ferreyra
Manager: Paulo Fonseca
KAA Gent:
Formation: 3-5-2
Rinne – Mitrović, Gershon, Nielsen – Asare, Renato Neto, Schoofs, Esiti, Saief – Perbet, Simon
Manager: Hein Vanhaezebrouck
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