Preview

July 28, Istanbul, Sukru Saracoglu, 21:00 EET
To be televised live on Ukraina and Futbol 1 TV channels

Shakhtar are back to Sukru Saracoglu, where six years ago they claimed the UEFA Cup final win at Werder. Quite expectedly, this topic has become one of the central on the eve of the Pitmen’s meeting with Fenerbahce. Just like the fact that Mircea Lucescu previously worked with the Turkish Galatasaray and Besiktas.

However, any nuances pale into insignificance when compared with the importance of the encounter between Shakhtar and Fenerbahce. The Istanbul team want to make it to the Champions League after a period of suspension. Their  fans are waiting for the results after the reinforcement that occurred this summer. However, the meeting with Shakhtar will be the Turks’ first competitive game in the 2015/16 season. In turn, the Pitmen have already had a Super Cup game and two league rounds. For five years in a row, Mircea Lucescu’s charges made it to the group stage directly, but now they have to fight for a place in the group stage by advancing from the qualifying round.

Previously, Shakhtar and Fenerbahce have never met in competitive games.

Match officials

Referee - Manuel De Sousa (Portugal)
Assistant referees - Bertino Miranda, Alvaro Mesquita (both - Portugal)
Fourth official - Carlos Xistra (Portugal)
UEFA Referee observer - Laszlo Vagner (Hungary)

Personnel

In Shakhtar’s previous European club competition game (against Bayern in Munich), Oleksandr Kucher was sent off. At a press conference Mircea Lucescu noted that Ivan Ordets was most likely to appear in the Champions League first leg this season. However, any personnel decisions become official only after the starting line-ups protocol is produced. We want to add that Wellington Nem will be unable to benefit the Pitmen, as he has been recovering from injury. He was not on the list of Shakhtar players, who went to the game vs Fenerbahce in Istanbul.