Shakhtar Donetsk take on the visitors Panathinaikos in the second leg of UEFA Europa League semifinal round. First leg result: 0-0. The match will be played on Thursday, August 14th at Stadion Miejski im. Henryka Reymana (Kraków).
Shakhtar Donetskhave had several missteps with head coaches — the last one to receive decent reviews for his work on the project was Jovićević, who rebuilt the squad almost from scratch back in 2022. Even so, the club parted with him abruptly after a heavy defeat in European competition. Under Pušić in the 2024/25 season, the giants posted their worst result in the UPL in a quarter of a century, and even winning the Ukrainian Cup could not make up for that — by then, they had already agreed terms with Arda Turan. The well-known but controversial player-turned-rookie coach has not received significant reinforcements to the squad. However, under him, the “Miners” have impressed both with their play and results not only against Ilves but also Beşiktaş, while starting the league campaign with a win. Recently, they have looked sharper in attack, with multiple players contributing to the scoresheet, and their defensive structure has been notably more disciplined compared to last season.
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Panathinaikos have already disappointed their fans this season. The “Shamrock” still remain a giant of Greek football — you cannot evaluate a team with two dozen league and cup titles any differently. However, they have long been unable to return to the top spot. Last season, they at least managed to finish second. This allowed them to start in the Champions League qualifiers. There, however, they opened straight after the summer break against Rangers and lost 2-0 in Glasgow. At home, they tried to come back, even took the lead, but instead of building on it and pushing the Scots, they conceded in reply and had to settle for a 1-1 draw, dropping into the Europa League. In Athens last week, the hosts were clearly closer to success but couldn’t beat Riznyk — he made 8 saves. On the other hand, in stoppage time the visitors had a strong claim for a penalty, and it was strange that it wasn’t awarded even after VAR review. Their current run shows inconsistency in finishing chances, while their defensive line has been exposed by quick transitions, leaving them vulnerable against more dynamic sides.
Until last Thursday, these two ambitious clubs had never faced each other. The “Miners” look overall stronger. We back them to win even in the role of nominal rather than actual home side.
Prediction for the match: Shakhtar Donetsk to win.
