UEFA Champions League Match Day 6
6.12.2017
Looking unstoppable at every turn, Manchester City travel to Kharkiv for their final group stage outing. Opponents Shakhtar Donetsk still require a point to be certain of advancing to the knockout rounds, Napoli breathing hard down their necks as they await the arrival of Pep Guardiola’s side who have won all five of their European encounters this term.
Forced to play their home games away from the Donbass Arena due to the political situation in Ukraine, the upheaval has not affected Paulo Fonseca’s men who have won both their “home” matches. They also boast a fine record against English teams, winning four and drawing two of their six fixtures to date, while they will once again rely on their 4-2-3-1 system when the game with City gets underway.
Guardiola will undoubtedly deploy his side in their usual 4-3-3 formation, championing possession and neat passing to wear down their opponents but also capable of lightning-fast counter-attacks when the opportunity arises. Deadly in front of goal and deadly out wide, they have rarely been affected by changes to the starting XI, which should help here as they are almost certain to rest a number of first-team players given they have already secured top spot in Group F.
Their ability to open up defences in so many different ways has helped City score goals at a spectacular rate, with Guardiola almost certain to be aware of Shakhtar’s weakness set pieces and their vulnerability to well-played through balls. The English club – thanks to the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva – excel in that department, Shakhtar's run of seeing over 2.5 goals in each of their last three Champions League games is almost certain to continue.
Their hosts here will be missing captain right Dario Srna due to a suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards, but he will not be the only absentee Fonseca must deal with. Right back Bogdan Butko, central defender Sergiy Kryvtsov, midfielder Maksym Malyshev, and winger Taison have all been ruled out, a list that makes their chances of getting a positive result even slimmer.
Shakhtar will be leaning heavily on in-form striker Facundo Ferreyra, the 26-year-old shrugging off a poor brief spell with Newcastle to bag 20 goals in all competitions so far this term. Like many others, his side would have been surprised to see Guardiola name such a strong squad for this clash given they have already clinched top spot in the group.
Left-back Benjamin Mendy and central defender John Stones are once again missing due to long-term injuries, while the Catalan boss did opt to leave David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne at home. Their absence could well have the knock-on effect of handing Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus more space, which both players have already shown they can capitalise upon this term.
Probable Lineups
Shakhtar Donetsk (4-2-3-1): Pyatov; Petryak, Ordets, Rakitsky, Ismaily; Fred, Stepanenko; Marlos, Kovalenko, Bernard; Ferreyra
Manchester City (4-3-3): Bravo; Walker, Kompany, Mangala, Delph; Yaya Toure, Fernandinho, Gundogan; Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus, Sterling
