Shakhtar Donetsk vs Atalanta

The stakes are high for Shakhtar Donetsk and Atalanta as they face off against each other in a must-win UEFA Champions League match at the Veltins Arena.

Forced into the nomadic lifestyle due to the Ukrainian war, Shakhtar Donetsk make their ‘home’ Champions League bow in Gelsenkirchen after playing their home European matches in Warsaw and Hamburg in the last two seasons. They’ve recorded partial ‘home’ success across the past two Champions League seasons (W2, D2, L2) and started this term with a 0-0 draw against Bologna. Six consecutive group/league stage eliminations paint a bleak picture for the Ukrainian colossi ahead of this encounter. Atalanta’s visit can only add to their misery, with Shakhtar conceding a staggering 61 goals across 32 previous European clashes against Serie A clubs (W7, D6, L19). Another goal-glutted contest could be on the cards, with just one of Shakhtar’s last eight ‘home’ fixtures in the Champions League proper featuring a scoreless halftime.

Like their rivals, Atalanta kicked off their Champions League campaign with a goalless draw, with Mateo Retegui squandering a penalty against Arsenal on matchday one. Since seeing off Lecce 4-0 in their opening Serie A away game, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men have gone winless on their last three competitive road trips (D1, L2). That doesn’t bode well as the Europa League winners bid to halt a four-game winless run in Champions League away action (D2, L2). However, they have fond memories of their only previous away game against Shakhtar, having swept the Ukrainians aside with a 3-0 victory in the 2019/20 Champions League group stages. That result was part of Atalanta’s run of five wins from their first seven away matches at Europe’s top table.