PSV vs Shakhtar – News and Probable Lineups

PSV Eindhoven is set to host Shakhtar Donetsk at Philips Stadium for their inaugural League Phase match in the 2026-27 Champions League this Thursday evening.

This encounter marks their first meeting since November 2024, when the Dutch team pulled off an incredible comeback to secure a 3-2 win in the League Phase, netting all three goals in a flurry from the 87th minute onward.

Match overview

PSV Eindhoven has firmly established itself as the dominant force in the Países Baixos, clinching the Eredivisie title in each of the past three seasons, finishing an impressive 19 points clear of second-place Feyenoord to capture their 27th top-flight trophy in 2025-26.

Head coach Peter Bosz faces the challenge of enhancing PSV’s performance in European competitions, following a disappointing run last season where they only managed two victories in eight League Phase matches of the Champions League (D2 L4), finishing a dismal 28th and failing to advance to the knockout stages.

Participating in the Champions League proper for a record 20th time this season – the first among any Dutch team – PSV has unfortunately lost each of their last five matchday one games in this competition; their last success in an opener was back in 2015-16, when they unexpectedly defeated Manchester United 2-1 on their home turf.

Recent home fixtures in Europe have been challenging for PSV, with the team suffering four defeats in their last five Champions League games at Eindhoven (W1) and conceding 17 goals overall. Nevertheless, they can take solace from their historical success against teams from Ukraine, having triumphed in their last three UCL matchups against such opponents.

The Rood-witten approach Thursday’s clash with Shakhtar buoyed by a strong start to their season, winning four and drawing one of their first five Eredivisie matches, including a resounding 6-1 victory over Utrecht followed by a 3-1 triumph away against Ajax last Saturday, propelling them to second place in the league table.

Similarly, Shakhtar Donetsk is preparing to partake in their 20th season of Champions League football – the highest among any Ukrainian club – after securing their 16th domestic title in the Ukrainian league in 2025-26, just one trophy behind Dynamo Kiev’s record of 17.

This season, the Pitmen will play all their home matches in the Champions League at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, due to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, with encounters against AEK Athens, Sporting Lisbon, Fenerbahce, and Real Madrid set over the next few months.

Arda Turan’s team was unable to qualify for last year’s top European tournament and were also ousted in the Europa League qualifiers; however, they did reach the Conference League semi-finals, where they fell 5-2 on aggregate to the eventual champions, Crystal Palace.

Even though Shakhtar has not progressed to the UCL knockout rounds since the 2017-18 season, when they reached the round of 16, they have only lost twice in their last eight group stage/League Phase matches in Europe (W5 D1). They also boast a record of just two defeats in their last seven meetings with Dutch teams (W3 D2), presenting a positive outlook ahead of their fixture against PSV on Thursday.

The Pitmen have made an encouraging start to their domestic campaign, securing wins in four out of their first five matches in the Ukrainian Premier League (L1), including a 2-1 comeback victory over Karpaty LVIV last weekend.

Team News

PSV Eindhoven will be missing Alassane Plea (knock), Jerdy Schouten (ACL), Sam Ouaissa (hamstring), Kiliann Sildillia and Dennis Man (both unspecified) due to injuries, while Mauro Junior is suspended for the opening League Phase match.

Sam Lammers may be ready to make his return after progressing in his rehabilitation from a knock, and Ruben van Bommel was fit to start against Ajax last time out, likely keeping his position on the left side of the field.

Ricardo Pepi scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner in the previous game against Shakhtar back in 2024, and has kickstarted his current season with three goals in the first five matches, making him expected to spearhead the attack once more.

As for Shakhtar Donetsk, Kiril Fesyun’s career has been put on hold due to heart complications stemming from a tick-borne infection, while Pedrinho (hamstring), Marlon (muscle), and Eguinaldo (shoulder) remain sidelined as well.

Eighteen-year-old wingers Bruninho and Ryan Roberto are both in line to potentially make their debuts in the Champions League after transferring from Brazil in the summer, although it’s unlikely either will start on Thursday.

Kaua Elias, who has netted three goals in five games this season, will compete with Luca Meirelles for a spot in the lineup, while Alisson, Newerton, and Gleiker Mendoza are all vying for positions on the flanks.

PSV Eindhoven probable starting XI:

Coward; Dest, Geertruida, Bishop, Kostic; Sano, Fernandez; Perisic, Thiel, Van Bommel; Pepi

Shakhtar Donetsk probable starting XI:

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

Both sides have made promising starts in their domestic leagues ahead of this initial fixture, setting the stage for a potentially thrilling end-to-end encounter at the Philips Stadion.

Although Shakhtar possesses the capability to challenge the hosts’ backline on the counter, Bosz’s squad should ultimately manage to secure a narrow victory on home turf, thus breaking their streak of five consecutive opening-day defeats in the Champions League.