Preview

Shakhtar’s first opponents on the summer training camp will be Ludogorets, Bulgaria. The match kicks off at 18:00 Kyiv time (EET) on June 26. The live broadcast is available to all authorized users of shakhtar.com.

Before the match

Shakhtar arrived in Grassau on June 24 and held the first training session on the same evening. The new coach of the Orange-and-Blacks Luis Castro took 28 football players with him, including the goalkeeper Tymur Puzankov, defender Dodo, midfielder Oleksandr Pikhalyonok, and forward Danylo Sikan.

Tuesday started for the Miners with an intensive session that included pace and agility exercises, defensive and attacking practice, as well as a number of tactical elements.

Opponents

Ludogorets are eight-time champions of Bulgaria. The club's triumph in the league began in the 2011/12 season, and since then, none of the opponents have been able to move the Eagles from the leading position. The Razgrad outfit won the regular part of last season with a five-point lead over CSKA Sofia, managing to secure the lead at the second stage, which reduced to just 1 point (aggregately, the Greens had 23 wins, 10 draws, and 3 losses).

In the new season, Ludogorets will kick off in the first qualifying round of the Champions League vs the Hungarian Ferencvarosi of Serhii Rebrov, Oleksandr Zubkov, and Danylo Ihnatenko. The clubs will meet on July 10 and July 17.

The Eagles’ coach is a 56-year-old Stoycho Stoev, who took the helm at the team for the second time in his career in 2019. The team leaders are the attacking midfielder Marcelinho (12 goals and 10 assists last season), the left winger Wanderson (8+11), the forwards Claudiu Keseru (24 goals) and Jakub Swierczok (18).

Previous meeting

Nine months ago, on January 20, 2018, Shakhtar and Ludogorets had a fruitful duel in Belek. Before the break, Marcelinho sent home a Cicinho assist to bring the Greens in front. In the second half, the Miners changed the line-up and reversed the course of the game by the 63rd minute: Zubkov took advantage of Ismaily's cross, feeding Ferreyra. Ludogorets secured a draw thanks to a precision shot by Joao Paulo – 2-2. We want to add that in this friendly game, the Brazilian Dodo debuted for Shakhtar.