Champions League preview: Arsenal on a tough trip to face Shakhtar Donetsk
The teams of two tactical masterminds face each other when Arsenal travel to face Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Wednesday, 3 November.
Shakhtar manager Mircea Lucescu won Serie B once and the Romanian and Turkish leagues twice before joining Shakhtar in 2004, where he has won the domestic league in four of the last five seasons. In 2009, Shakhtar defeated Werder Bremen 2–1 to claim the
UEFA Cup in Istanbul.
Wenger, meanwhile, won the J. League and Ligue 1 before joining Arsenal in 1996, where he has won three Premiership titles. In Europe, Wenger has finished second in the 1999–00 UEFA Cup and in the 2005–06 Champions League, but has never managed to triumph
in a final.
Arsenal are top of Group H with nine points from three games. Their last victory came against Shakhtar at the Emirates Stadium where the Londoners produced a resounding 5–1 scoreline.
Despite that defeat, Shakhtar have two wins in the group stage and are poised to defend their second place in the group from SC Braga, who are on three points.
Both teams enter the tie on the back of 1–0 wins in the domestic league, Arsenal having overcome West Ham United on Saturday, 30 October, while Shakhtar defeated Dnipro to earn a comfortable eight-point lead at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League.
Jack Wilshere to step up again?
Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal's captain, was substituted in the second half against West Ham with a thigh strain. Wenger will be making a late fitness test to see whether the Spaniard can take part.
If not, Jack Wilshere — who was man of the match in the sides' last encounter — should be able to shoulder the creative responsibilities at the heart of midfield with ease.
Having inked a long-term contract on Monday, 1 November, the trip east will give the 18-year-old another chance to showcase his tremendous potential.
Wilshere will likely pair up with Saturday's match winner Alex Song in midfield, meaning Denilson Neves is dropped to the bench. Tomas Rosicky was rested against West Ham and could get the nod over Andrey Arshavin further up the field.
Wenger's team will be glad to escape the long-range belters Fernandinho is known to deliver, as Shakhtar's Brazilian midfielder is out until the new year. Playmaker Douglas Costa, on the other hand, could make a return for the Ukrainians.
Only one draw in Ukraine for Arsenal
While Arsenal remain the favourites to win the encounter, it should be remembered that the Londoners have never won on a trip to Ukraine and have three losses from four games in the country.
The Ukrainian champions will be helped by playing on their home turf. While Shakhtar struggled to produce anything of note aside from Eduardo's late equaliser at the Emirates Stadium, they managed to overcome FK Partizan at the Donbass Arena in the first
round, and even beat SC Braga 3–0 in Portugal.
Shakhtar, whose squad includes no less than six Brazilian players (seven if Eduardo, who is also a Croatian national, is included), will count on striker Luiz Adriano — and Eduardo, whether or not he starts — to capitalize on the pressure that is sure to
build on the Arsenal defence at some stage of the game.
History may speak against Wenger's team, but their recent form puts the odds in Arsenal's favour on Wednesday evening.
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