Shakhtar Donetsk v Schalke background
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Article summary
Shakhtar Donetsk eliminated Schalke at this stage of the 2004/05 UEFA Cup but have their work cut out in their round of 32 opener against one of the group stage's tightest defences.
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FC Shakhtar Donetsk will hope for a repeat performance after being paired with FC Schalke 04 for a second time in the UEFA Europa League round of 32.
Previous meetings
• Mircea Lucescu's Shakhtar eliminated a Schalke side coached by Ralf Rangnick in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup round of 32, winning 1-0 in Gelsenkirchen after drawing 1-1 in Donetsk. Those are Schalke's only encounters with Ukrainian opponents.
• Shakhtar's 16 games against German teams have ended W5 D5 L6 (W2 D4 L1 at home – W2 D1 L5 in Germany). Most famously, they beat Werder Bremen 2-1 in the final of the 2009 UEFA Cup in Istanbul.
• Shakhtar's last four home matches against German opponents have ended in draws.
Form guide
• Shakhtar's European home form has been inconsistent this season: W2 D1 L2.
• Schalke and SSC Napoli conceded a joint low three goals during this season's group stage.
• This is the third time Shakhtar have reached the round of 32 since they won this competition in 2009 – they have not made it through to the last 16 since that triumph in Istanbul.
• Schalke won the 1996/97 UEFA Cup. The nearest they have come to a second success was reaching the semi-finals in 2005/06. They progressed to the quarter-finals in their most recent attempt, in 2011/12.
Trivia and links
• The journey from Gelsenkirchen to Lviv – where Shakhtar are playing their UEFA home games – is around 1,200km.
• Schalke midfielder Roman Neustädter turns 28 on the day of the first leg against Shakhtar.
• Klaas-Jan Huntelaar needs one more goal to reach 50 in UEFA club competition. Thirteen players have achieved that feat so far.
• Schalke took 59 corners during the group stage – seven more than any other side.
The coaches
• André Breitenreiter, 42, took over at Schalke in June having led SC Paderborn 07 to promotion in 2013/14, then steered them momentarily to the top of the Bundesliga. An attacking midfielder, he began his career with Hannover 96 and Hamburger SV yet spent the bulk of his playing days in the lower leagues.
• Lucescu has been in charge at Shakhtar since 2004 and has led the Pitmen to eight Ukrainian titles and five national cups as well as the 2009 UEFA Cup. The one-time striker, 70, has coached in Romania and Italy and won back-to-back Turkish titles with different clubs in the early 2000s.
