Preview

February 28, Kyiv, NSC Olimpiyskiy, 17:00

Match build-up

On Thursday, Shakhtar advanced to the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 after securing a narrow win at Maccabi Tel Aviv in Kyiv through a spot-kick goal by Moraes (3-0 on aggregate). Luis Castro's men work in line with a habitually tight schedule, having to instantly switch from one competition to another. The team have just a couple of days to recover and prepare for the match against Zorya.

We expect a really tough match, with the players needing no additional motivation for it as the course of this season's games dictates the maximum focus, especially given the opponents’ great form and recently extended unbeaten run. Plus Shakhtar have kept clean sheets in five competitive games in a row recently.

Let us remind you that the Shakhtar vs Zorya match will be held in the presence of spectators. The tickets are available online at shakhtar.comor on the FC Shakhtar mobile app (Google Play and App Store).

Opponents

Zorya are topping the group of pursuers of Dynamo and Shakhtar, being seven points adrift of the Miners but having a game in hand - this is the cancelled MD10 game against Olimpik that did not take place back in November. In the last five games, the Luhansk outfit have achieved maximum results: vs Minaj (3-0), vs Dnipro-1 (3-1), vs Oleksandriia (2-0), vs Desna (2-1) and vs Mariupol (1-0). The victory over Desna in the first game after the winter break was secured owing to Oleksandr Hladkyi’s double, plus the 15th round game was decided through the only goal by another striker - the newcomer Shahab Zahedi.

Last season’s bronze medalists are preparing for the match vs Shakhtar through single training sessions daily. They have no suspended or injured players – without exception, all the players are available, so the head coach Viktor Skrypnyk has got the widest possible selection.

Head-to-head record

Zorya is one of the clubs who Shakhtar have scored over a hundred goals in the Ukrainian league against. The total goal difference is 108-31 in favour of the Orange-and-Blacks. The Donetsk team claimed 36 wins in 45 matches, the Luhansk team did it six times, plus there were three draws.

Previous meeting