Fourth winter friendly
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
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Shakhtar faced LNZ Cherkasy on February 10
Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan fielded the following line-up: Riznyk was in goal, Vinicius Tobias, Ghram, Bondar and Azarov formed the defensive line, Nazaryna and Marlon Gomes appeared as central midfielders, with Lucas, Prosper, Meirelles and Kaua Elias making up the attacking quartet.
Many challenges, few chances before the break
The first half saw the Pitmen enjoy a clear territorial advantage, almost entirely controlling possession and spending most of the time on the opponents’ half, playing fluidly around LNZ’s penalty area. However, the Cherkasy side’s organised defence was nearly flawless, preventing any dangerous opportunities near their goal. The game also featured numerous duels, some of them fairly risky. In one incident, Prosper was injured following a foul by an opponent, but after receiving treatment from the club’s medical staff, he returned to the pitch and continued playing. In another moment, a scuffle broke out between players, which even Arda Turan and his assistants had to intervene to calm down. The Orange-and-Blacks could have claimed a penalty when Lucas went down in the box after contact with an LNZ defender, but the referee judged there was no foul. Towards the end of the half, the teams finally exchanged some sharp chances: Nonikashvili met a teammate’s cross with a jump – the ball went just wide of the post – and a free-kick from Nazaryna was turned out for a corner by LNZ goalkeeper.
Conceded goal from a set piece and missed chances
At half-time, Shakhtar coaching staff made three substitutions: Konoplia, Bondarenko and, for the first time this winter break, Traore came on. Shortly after the game resumed, Prosper was replaced by Newertton. LNZ started the second half more actively and opened the scoring in the 53rd minute: after a free-kick delivery and a lay-off from a teammate, Horin fired the ball into the net from around seven metres out. Shakhtar immediately regained the initiative and pushed forward in numbers, but once again ran into the opponents’ dense defensive lines – the Cherkasy-based outfit applied high pressing and expertly closed down the free spaces. Midway through the half, Arda Turan rotated the remaining outfield players, bringing on Matviienko, Marlon Santos, Faryna, Shved, as well as youth squad players Smetana and Tsukanov. Viktor almost equalised immediately, finishing a combination between Bondarenko and Konoplia with a shot from the edge of the box – the ball flew narrowly past the right post. Another chance came after a sustained attack, during which attempts from Konoplia and Traore were blocked by LNZ defenders, and Bondarenko’s volley was tipped over for a corner by the goalkeeper. Five minutes before the final whistle, the Orange-and-Blacks” had another opportunity when Denis Smetana won a free-kick on the edge of the area and took it low towards the left post himself – Palamarchuk managed to save it, though not easily. In stoppage time, Newertton had the last chance: playing one-two with Traore, the Brazilian shot from close range – again, the keeper made the save. 0-1 – Shakhtar lose to LNZ in the friendly.
On February 13, Shakhtar face two test games against Georgian opponents. First, Arda Turan’s team will take on the country’s runners-up Dila (kickoff at 13:00), followed by newly promoted top-flight side Rustavi (16:00).
All friendlies of the Orange-and-Blacks are streamed on Shakhtar’s YouTube channel and FC Shakhtar mobile app (App Store and Google Play) in the Live section.
Shakhtar Donetsk 0-1 (0-0) LNZ Cherkasy
Antalya, Mardan Stadium, att.: 100
Goal: 0-1 Horin (53′)
Shakhtar: Riznyk, Vinicius Tobias (Konoplia, 46′), Ghram (Marlon Santos, 63′), Bondar (c) (Matviienko, 63′), Azarov (Faryna, 63′), Nazaryna (Smetana, 63′), Marlon Gomes (Bondarenko, 46′), Meirelles (Tsukanov, 63′), Lucas (Shved, 63′), Prosper (Newertton, 50′), Kaua Elias (Traore, 46′)
Many challenges, few chances before the break
The first half saw the Pitmen enjoy a clear territorial advantage, almost entirely controlling possession and spending most of the time on the opponents’ half, playing fluidly around LNZ’s penalty area. However, the Cherkasy side’s organised defence was nearly flawless, preventing any dangerous opportunities near their goal. The game also featured numerous duels, some of them fairly risky. In one incident, Prosper was injured following a foul by an opponent, but after receiving treatment from the club’s medical staff, he returned to the pitch and continued playing. In another moment, a scuffle broke out between players, which even Arda Turan and his assistants had to intervene to calm down. The Orange-and-Blacks could have claimed a penalty when Lucas went down in the box after contact with an LNZ defender, but the referee judged there was no foul. Towards the end of the half, the teams finally exchanged some sharp chances: Nonikashvili met a teammate’s cross with a jump – the ball went just wide of the post – and a free-kick from Nazaryna was turned out for a corner by LNZ goalkeeper.
Conceded goal from a set piece and missed chances
At half-time, Shakhtar coaching staff made three substitutions: Konoplia, Bondarenko and, for the first time this winter break, Traore came on. Shortly after the game resumed, Prosper was replaced by Newertton. LNZ started the second half more actively and opened the scoring in the 53rd minute: after a free-kick delivery and a lay-off from a teammate, Horin fired the ball into the net from around seven metres out. Shakhtar immediately regained the initiative and pushed forward in numbers, but once again ran into the opponents’ dense defensive lines – the Cherkasy-based outfit applied high pressing and expertly closed down the free spaces. Midway through the half, Arda Turan rotated the remaining outfield players, bringing on Matviienko, Marlon Santos, Faryna, Shved, as well as youth squad players Smetana and Tsukanov. Viktor almost equalised immediately, finishing a combination between Bondarenko and Konoplia with a shot from the edge of the box – the ball flew narrowly past the right post. Another chance came after a sustained attack, during which attempts from Konoplia and Traore were blocked by LNZ defenders, and Bondarenko’s volley was tipped over for a corner by the goalkeeper. Five minutes before the final whistle, the Orange-and-Blacks” had another opportunity when Denis Smetana won a free-kick on the edge of the area and took it low towards the left post himself – Palamarchuk managed to save it, though not easily. In stoppage time, Newertton had the last chance: playing one-two with Traore, the Brazilian shot from close range – again, the keeper made the save. 0-1 – Shakhtar lose to LNZ in the friendly.
On February 13, Shakhtar face two test games against Georgian opponents. First, Arda Turan’s team will take on the country’s runners-up Dila (kickoff at 13:00), followed by newly promoted top-flight side Rustavi (16:00).
All friendlies of the Orange-and-Blacks are streamed on Shakhtar’s YouTube channel and FC Shakhtar mobile app (App Store and Google Play) in the Live section.
Shakhtar Donetsk 0-1 (0-0) LNZ Cherkasy
Antalya, Mardan Stadium, att.: 100
Goal: 0-1 Horin (53′)
Shakhtar: Riznyk, Vinicius Tobias (Konoplia, 46′), Ghram (Marlon Santos, 63′), Bondar (c) (Matviienko, 63′), Azarov (Faryna, 63′), Nazaryna (Smetana, 63′), Marlon Gomes (Bondarenko, 46′), Meirelles (Tsukanov, 63′), Lucas (Shved, 63′), Prosper (Newertton, 50′), Kaua Elias (Traore, 46′)
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