Feyenoord face up to Shakhtar challenge

A first meeting between Feyenoord and FC Shakhtar Donetsk finds both needing to regroup after defeats on matchday two.

• While the Dutch champions were going down 3-1 at SSC Napoli in their second fixture – their second defeat in as many Group F games – Shakhtar lost 2-0 at section leaders Manchester City FC.

• The Ukrainian club remain in second place on three points, however, level with Napoli and three behind City. Feyenoord are yet to get off the mark having conceded seven goals in their two reversals so far.

Match background

Feyenoord
• The Dutch side's record at home to clubs from Ukraine is W2 D1 L1. Their most recent fixtures came in the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League group stage, when they won 1-0 at home to FC Zoryn Luhansk before a 1-1 away draw in Odessa.

• Having beaten the same opponents 4-3 at home in the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League play-offs, Feyenoord are unbeaten in their last four matches (W2 D2) against Ukrainian opposition, since a 1-0 loss at home to FC Dynamo Kyiv in August 2012. That was the third defeat (D1) in their first four games with teams from Ukraine.

• Beaten 4-0 at home by Manchester City on opening night, Feyenoord have not registered a home win in the UEFA Champions League, group stage to final, since a 2-1 success over FC Spartak Moskva in Rotterdam on 31 October 2001. Their record since is D2 L2.

• Having lifted a first Eredivisie title in 18 years last season, Feyenoord are in the last 32 of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2002/03, when they were eliminated in the first group stage.

• The Rotterdammers lost in the third qualifying round in both 2012/13 (to Dynamo Kyiv – 1-2 in Ukraine, 0-1 in Holland) and 2014/15 (Beşiktaş JK).

Shakhtar
• This is Shakhtar's fifth game against a club from the Netherlands – and they have lost all the previous four, scoring three goals and conceding ten.

• Their most recent contests came against AZ Alkmaar in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup round of 16, a 3-1 home defeat preceding a 2-1 reverse in the Netherlands (2-5 on aggregate).

• In the same competition in 1999/2000, Shakhtar were beaten 2-0 at Roda JC and 3-1 at home in the first round (1-5 aggregate).

• Shakhtar, who started 2017/18 with a 2-1 win at home to Napoli on matchday one, are making their seventh group stage appearance in eight seasons and their 12th in total – all since 2000. They have got to the last 16 on three occasions: 2010/11 (when they were quarter-finalists), 2012/13 and 2014/15.

• In 2016/17, the Ukrainian side lost to BSC Young Boys in the third qualifying round (2-0 home, 0-2 away, 2-4 on penalties). They eventually made it to the UEFA Europa League round of 32, going down to RC Celta de Vigo (1-0 away, 0-2 home aet).

• Shakhtar had won their previous five European away games before losing at Manchester City, and have picked up victories in eight of their last 11 matches outside Ukraine, losing the other three.

Coach and player links
• Giovanni van Bronckhorst was in the Netherlands team that achieved a 3-0 friendly win against Ukraine at the Stadion Feijenoord on 24 May 2008.

• Andriy Pyatov and Kenneth Vermeer faced each other twice at the 2006 UEFA Under-21 Championship in Portugal. Ukraine beat Netherlands 2-1 in the group stage but were defeated 3-0 in the final.

Match facts

Feyenoord
• Feyenoord lost two of their first five home matches this season, already more than the solitary defeat they suffered at De Kuip last term.

• Steven Berghuis has scored seven goals in 11 games in all competitions this season. Feyenoord have never lost when he has registered (W10 D1).

• Nicolai Jørgensen had not featured since 9 September (hamstring) prior to playing nearly an hour of Saturday's 0-0 draw with PEC Zwolle.

• Swedish summer signing Sam Larsson marked his first league start for Feyenoord with a goal and an assist inside 17 minutes as the Dutch champions won 4-0 at AZ Alkmaar on 1 October.

• Renato Tapia was in the Peru side that booked a FIFA World Cup play-off against New Zealand with draws versus Argentina (0-0) and Colombia (1-1) during the international break.

Shakhtar 
• The Pitmen were unbeaten away from home in 27 games, a run dating back to 3 August 2016, before going down 2-0 at Manchester City on matchday two. This is their first away match since then.

• Shakhtar have not scored just once in a game this season: they have hit two seven times, three on four occasions and four once. Paulo Fonseca's side have drawn three blanks.

• Brazilian-born Marlos won his first cap for Ukraine on 6 October in a 2-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying win against Kosovo. Now 29, he moved to Ukraine in 2011, initially with FC Metalist Kharkiv.

• Pyatov, Yaroslav Rakitskiy, Taras Stepanenko, Viktor Kovalenko and Marlos all featured as Ukraine's World Cup hopes were ended by a 2-0 home loss to Croatia on 9 October.

• Kovalenko was in action again the following day, scoring a penalty in a 1-1 draw against Netherlands in U21 EURO qualifying, firing past Feyenoord keeper Justin Bijlow. Another Feyenoord man, Jeremiah St. Juste, captained the visitors in Kyiv.

• David Khocholava appeared for Georgia as a late substitute against Wales on 6 October; three days later he played 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss in Serbia.