Eredivisie leader PSV Eindhoven Welcome Shakhtar Donetsk on the fifth matchday at the Philips Stadium Champions League this Wednesday.

Both clubs can be found in and around the top 24with the Ukrainian guests looking to move into the qualification places after a first win in their last game.

Game preview

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Peter BoszAmsterdam’s PSV side continue to produce remarkable goalscoring opportunities and beat Groningen 5-0 on their return to action after the international break at the weekend.

That’s what made them stay five points ahead of Utrecht at the top of the league, with four wins in five games and 20 goals in that time, and it is Utrecht that is next in line for PSV after this European encounter.

However, all eyes and attention will be on the Champions League for now, with PSV in 24th place – the final spot in the knockout rounds.

It was a respectable start in difficult circumstances for the Dutch team, as the defeat on matchday one against Juventus was followed by further difficult games against Sporting Lisbon and Paris Saint-Germain, both of which they drew.

In their first game as outright favorites in the Champions League this season, Bosz’s men beat Girona 4-0 last time out and now have the chance to win back-to-back UCL games for the second time in seven seasons.

This victory over the competition’s debutants took them to five points at half-time, and another five points in the final four games should be enough to see them through.

Three points are expected here, as PSV are unbeaten in twelve home games – their best series in over twelve years.

However, for this to continue, the hosts will need to improve on their recent record against Ukrainian clubs, namely in their first meeting against Shakhtar, as PSV have lost three of their last four games against clubs from the country.

However, PSV often fares well against teams of a similar level, being unbeaten in their last 10 games in this competition against clubs who have never appeared in a final.

Shakhtar manager Marino Pusic will look to end that streak when he returns to his adopted home here, fresh from a 2-1 win over Young Boys on matchday four that finally got the season underway.

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After registering just two shots on target and unsurprisingly failing to score in their first three UCL games of the season, Shakhtar fired six against Young Boys en route to a deserved win, putting them back in contention for progression.

Across all competitions, this result contributed to a run of five straight wins, which continued thanks to Inhulets’ 6-0 defeat at the weekend.

However, all five of these games were at home, and Pusic’s team remained winless in their last two games as a designated away team. They lost at Arsenal and drew against Dynamo Kyiv, who remain six points ahead of them domestically.

With Bayern Munich, Brest and Borussia Dortmund reaching the bottom three teams, Shakhtar will need to pull off an upset if they want to challenge for the top 24 and a win might be needed here.

That seems difficult considering Shakhtar have won just two of their last 14 away games in Europe and lost in three of their last four trips to the Netherlands.

PSV Eindhoven Champions League form:

PSV Eindhoven form (all competitions):

Shakhtar Donetsk Champions League form:

Shakhtar Donetsk form (all competitions):

Team news

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PSV is expected to be without Luuk de Jong Once again with a minor muscle injury, but that shouldn’t be a problem if Ricardo Pepi can continue his incredible form.

A hat-trick in the win over Groningen at the weekend means Pepi has now scored ten goals in his last six appearances for club and country and will be back at the top.

Armando Obispo And Lozano is hired Both returned from injury at the weekend and were on the bench, but Jerdy Schouten And Joey Veerman stay outside while Sergino Dest is a big doubt.

There are currently no injuries in the first team at Shakhtar PedrinhoIt is believed that the weekend’s absence from the squad was precautionary.

Shakhtar’s defense could look very different to the one that faced Inhulets on Sunday if Pedrinho returns, because Mykola Matviyenko And Yukhym Konoplya were also held in reserve before this race and were scheduled to start.

Eguinaldo He started in the win over Young Boys on matchday four and is expected to return to the starting line-up here after scoring two goals off the bench in the win over Inhulets.

PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Karsdorp, Flamingo, Boscagli, dams; Til, Mauro Jr., Tillman; Bakayoko, Pepi, Lang

Possible starting lineup for Shakhtar Donetsk:
Riznyk; Konoplya, Bondar, Matviienko, Pedrinho; Bondarenko, Kryskiv, Sudakov; Zubkov, Eguinaldo, Kevin

We say: PSV Eindhoven – Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0

An impressive win over Girona last time out in the competition shows PSV have the attacking firepower to progress to the knockout stages and they should be looking at putting in a similar performance here.

Despite a win over Young Boys on matchday four and some brilliant domestic form, Shakhtar are not doing well and have already shown their weaknesses against stronger clubs in this competition this season.

To data analyze the most likely outcomes, scores and more for this game Please click here.

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