Preview

Shakhtar are to face Armenian Pyunik in the friendly game. It will take place in Antalya and will kick off at 14:30 Kyiv time.

All friendlies of the Orange-and-Blacks will be streamed live on Shakhtar’s YouTube channel and the FC Shakhtar app (App Store and Google Play).

Opponents

Pyunik, which was founded in 1992, is the most awarded club in Armenia (15-time champion, 8-time winner of the Armenian Cup and 9-time winner of the Armenian Super Cup). In the previous season, Yerevan team finished second in the championship, and they are confidently leading in the current Premier League campaign without a single defeat in 20 rounds (14 wins and 6 draws, goal difference: 51–14). The team completed their European Cup performances in the summer at the qualification stage of the UEFA Conference League. In the first two qualifying rounds, the Armenians defeated Estonian Narva Trans (2-0, 3-0) and Swedish Kalmar (2-1, 2-1), but lost to Norwegian Bodø/Glimt (0-3, 0-3).

The head coach of Pyunik is 44-year-old Eghishe Melikyan, who spent most of his playing career in Ukrainian clubs: he played for Metalurh Donetsk (2002–2010), as well as for Stal, Zorya, Krymteplytsia and Hoverla. The coaching career of the Armenian specialist also began in Ukraine, he led the same Metalurh, Stal and Lviv from 2015 to 2020. Melikyan has been working at Pyunik since January 2021.

The most prolific players of the team in this season are central midfielder Hovhannes Harutyunyan (12 goals, 6 assists) and Nigerian forward Yusuf Otubanjo (10 goals, 3 assists). Yerevan team also has two Ukrainian players – central defender Anton Bratkov (25 matches in this season) and Shakhtar Academy graduate Serhii Vakulenko (11 games).

Shakhtar and Pyunik played 4 official matches in the Champions League qualification, however, it was back in the 2000s. The Miners won in all meetings: in the 2004/05 season, Shakhtar won 3-1 and 1-0, and in the summer of 2007, they defeated Yerevan team away with a 2-0 score and with a 2-1 score at home.