PSV Eindhoven host Shakhtar Donetsk in Champions League opener
PSV Eindhoven hosted Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday in their UEFA Champions League league-phase opener, a match Shakhtar prepared for with an arduous journey from Lviv due to the war in Ukraine. BBC match data shows PSV posed the greater attacking threat, though no final score was reported in the sources.
Match context
On Thursday evening PSV Eindhoven hosted Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk at PSV Stadion in the opening round of the new UEFA Champions League league phase. It was the first European fixture of the season for both sides, and for Shakhtar a return to the competition's big stage following their 2024 meeting with PSV.
A gruelling journey to the Netherlands
According to Goal.com, Shakhtar's build-up to the match was unusually difficult because of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The squad travelled by bus from Lviv to the Polish border before flying to the Netherlands from Rzeszow. Head coach Arda Turan explained that, because of these conditions, the team used tactical video analysis during travel instead of normal pitch sessions. Turan said the responsibility of representing the Ukrainian people outweighed any physical fatigue from the trip, and he credited the calm influence of his former manager Guus Hiddink, recalling a match for Turkey against Belgium in which Hiddink's composure at half-time inspired a comeback. Turan promised Shakhtar would not set up purely defensively in Eindhoven, urging his players to be brave and to attack.
Pre-match mood in both camps
Per Yahoo Sports, PSV coach Peter Bosz criticised the media ahead of the game and defended young forward Ruben van Bommel, who had faced recent criticism. Veteran winger Ivan Perisic likewise urged PSV to avoid past opening-day mistakes and backed van Bommel. Shakhtar captain Mykola Matviyenko, meanwhile, said he wanted to settle an old score against PSV, referencing the clubs' 2024 encounter, and praised Turan for mentally preparing the club's inexperienced squad for the pressure of the occasion.
Match statistics
Data compiled by BBC Sport shows that although PSV held slightly less possession than Shakhtar (47.9% to 52.1%), they created the more dangerous chances, leading in expected goals 0.1448 to 0.0309, with three shots to one and one shot on target to none. PSV also had eight touches inside the opposition box compared with Shakhtar's one. Shakhtar, however, were more accurate in possession, completing 160 passes at 81.3% accuracy against PSV's 140 passes at 82.1%, and made more defensive clearances, six to PSV's three. The final score of the match is not stated in the available sources.
