Preview

Shakhtar’s opponents in the friendly will be Gorica (Velika Gorica), a Croatian First League side. The game will take place in Brdo, Slovenia. It kicks off at 19:00 Kyiv time.

All friendlies of the Orange-and-Blacks are streamed on Shakhtar’s YouTube channel and the  FC Shakhtar mobile app (App Store and Google Play) in the Live section.

Opponents

HNK Gorica was founded in 2009 in Velika Gorica, a town in northwestern Croatia, following the merger of local club Radnik and neighbouring Polet. The team spent nine years competing in the third and second divisions before making their debut in the Croatian First League in the 2018/19 season. Their best achievements include a 5th-spot league finish and 2 Croatian Cup semi-final appearances. In the 2024/25 season, Gorica finished second from bottom (9th spot) in the First League (36 matches, 37 points, goal difference of 29-51) and reached the Croatian Cup quarter-finals.

The team are currently managed by 43-year-old Croatian coach Mario Carevic, who took charge in October 2024. In his early playing days, as a product of Hajduk, Carevic crossed paths with Shakhtar’s current Sporting Director Darijo Srna. He also played for VfB Stuttgart in Germany and for Lokeren and Kortrijk in Belgium. As a coach, he previously worked with Rudes, Varazdin, Krka (Slovenia), and Sibenik.

Gorica’s squad is made up mostly of Croatian players, though it also includes 7 international footballers. The club’s top scorer last season was 30-year-old Croatian forward Marko Kolar (4 goals and 3 assists). According to Transfermarkt, the most valuable player in the team is 25-year-old defensive midfielder Jurica Prsir (estimated value – EUR 1.8 million). This summer, the club made 3 incoming transfers, signing Austrian defender Stefan Peric, Kosovo winger Medin Gashi and Croatian goalkeeper Davor Matijas as free agents.

The upcoming match will be the first summer friendly for both Gorica and Shakhtar.