Background
Shakhtar Donetsk have been on their winter break since 7 December and do not resume league action in Ukraine until 23 February. Spring-like conditions are therefore unlikely at the Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv, where the team have been playing their home games since January 2017 due to political instability. The stadium lies 315 kilometres outside Donetsk, where temperatures well below zero are not uncommon at this time of year.
All of which makes it all the more remarkable that Shakhtar’s squad once again contains several Brazilians, with no fewer than 11 in coach Paulo Fonseca's ensemble. Among them are two of the side’s key players, captain Taison and left-back Ismaily. The spine of the team also includes veteran goalkeeper Andrii Piatov, who moved to Shakhtar in 2007 and was part of the team that beat Werder Bremen, then coached by Thomas Schaaf, in extra-time in the 2009 UEFA Cup final. Since then, appearances in the latter stages of European competitions have not been a regular occurrence for the club, despite frequent participation in the UEFA Champions League.
Tactics
Shakhtar predominantly play in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Taras Stepanenko has the job of protecting the back four, with Maycon alongside him driving the play, while experienced duo Marlos and Taison normally occupy the two wide berths. Although extreme pressing is not the norm, opposition players are afforded little space, especially once they get past the halfway line and particularly out wide. Compactness is also the name of the game when the team are in possession, with the four attackers mostly playing close to each other. The two full-backs also tend to push forward when in possession.
One to watch: Viktor Kovalenko
Viktor Kovalenko came through the youth system at Shakhtar and reached the final of the UEFA Youth League with the club’s Under-19s in April 2015. Although they lost 3-2 to Chelsea, Kovalenko still managed to get on the scoresheet. From then on, the attacking midfielder has gone from strength to strength. Two months later, he won the Golden Boot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand with five goals – one more than Eintracht’s Marc Stendera. That was followed by a senior call-up for UEFA Euro 2016.
Although Kovalenko occupies the playmaker position, coach Fonseca also relies on his defensive qualities. Together with the centre-forward, the 22-year-old is tasked with closing down the opposition centre-backs in the middle of the park as much as possible. Although he is a relatively unspectacular player, he is extremely effective and is assured in his ball distribution, enabling him to create chances in transition for the front three.
