Preview

December 13, Porto, Dragão, 22:00
The live broadcast will be available on Megogo

Match build-up

Shakhtar secured 3 wins, beating Barcelona (1-0) and Antwerp twice (3-2, 1-0) in 5 matches of the Champions League group stage. Currently, the Miners have 9 points (goal difference: 7-7) and are in the third spot of the quartet. Marino Pusic's sided secured the European spring, however the Pitmen need to beat Porto by any score in order to advance to the Champions League play-offs.

Shakhtar have already completed the first part of the season in the Ukrainian Premier League with a victory over Veres (2-0) with goals from Dmytro Kryskiv and Oleksandr Zubkov, and the match against Porto will be the last competitive game for the Orange-and-Blacks in 2023. The team arrived in Portugal without injured Dmytro Chyhrynskyi, Yukhym Konoplia and Oleh Ocheretko, the rest of the players are ready for the decisive battle at the Dragão.

Opponents

Porto also scored 9 points in 5 group stage matches (goal difference: 10-5) and are in the second spot in the table. The Portuguese outfit started the tournament with a victory over Shakhtar (3-1), lost twice to Barcelona (0-1, 1-2) and won both meetings with Antwerp (4-1, 2-0). In the Portuguese League, Sergio Conceicao’s side share the first step with Sporting, having 31 points. The last test before the meeting with the champions of Ukraine for the Dragons was a home match against Casa Pia AC, which they won through the goals from Evanilson, Jose Pedro and Pepe (3-1).

Brazilian Evanilson is the most prolific Porto player this season – he scored 11 goals in 15 matches. As for the personnel losses of the hosts, centre-back Ivan Marcano and winger Gabriel Veron will not help the Blue-and-Whites in today's game, the participation of main fullbacks Joao Mario and Wendell is in question.

Match background

Shakhtar and Porto met for the first time in competitive matches in the 1983/84 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals. There was a draw (1-1) in Donetsk, with the hosts narrowly winning in Porto (3-2). In modern history, the teams played 5 matches in the Champions League group stage. In the 2011/12 season, the Dragons proved stronger twice, winning at home (2-1) and at the Donbas Arena (2-0). The next time the opponents met in the fall of 2014, tying in both games, 2-2 in Ukraine and 1-1 in Portugal. The last meeting took place on September 19, 2023 in the Champions League round 1 of the current season, the match in Hamburg ended with a victory for the visitors (1-3).

Porto vs Shakhtar match will be officiated by the judging panel from Romania headed by Istvan Kovacs.