Shakhtar Donetsk vs Manchester City 24/10/18

24 October 2018

Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester City will face each other at the OSC Metalist in Kharkiv, with hosts hoping to clinch their first Champions League victory this season.

The Miners are undefeated since early August, having won eight matches and played out three draws ever since. Although they top the Ukrainian Premier League with 31 points after 12 fixtures, they are yet to secure all three points in the Champions League. On the opening matchday, the Moles had to come back from behind twice against TSG Hoffenheim to avoid defeat, while they’ve dropped a 2-goal lead against Lyon on the road in the second round.

Meanwhile, the Citizens have started the Europe campaign off on the wrong foot, having suffered a surprising 2-1 loss to Lyon at home although Pep Guardiola wasn’t on the bench then. However, they’ve managed to bounce back against Hoffenheim, clinching a though 1-goal margin victory thanks to David Silva’s late winner. In the meantime, the Premier League holders currently top the league with seven triumphs after the opening nine games, as they’ve won five out of last six league matches.

The two sides have already played against each other in last year edition, with Shakhtar defeating City in Ukraine by two goals to one.

According to the reports, Taison is experiencing some muscular problems and may have to start on the bench for the hosts. As for the visitors, Claudio Bravo, Eliaquim Mangala, Danilo, and Ilkay Gundogan are sidelined by injuries, while Kyle Walker’s appearance still hangs in the balance.