Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Real Madrid

“We’re a very professional team”.

However, chinks have developed in Real’s armour in the recent games, and the hosts for the occasion, Shakhtar, will be attempting to inflict further damage on the visitors as they eye Europa League spot.

Madrid will be looking for another win and three points to stay atop the group, while Shakhtar Donetsk, who have three points, need a win to have a hail mary chance at finishing in second, provided Paris Saint-Germain lose to Malmo.

Real coach Rafa Benitez, under pressure after the drubbing from Barca, is taking just five recognised defenders to Ukraine. Again Benitez’ outfit dropped the three points, losing 3-2 after Sevilla scored three unanswered goals. They are now six point behind Barcelona in La Liga, but can still draw comfort from their fine Champions League form where they have already qualified with 7:0 goal difference.

“We have to learn from our mistakes”.

“If my players didn’t believe in me, we wouldn’t have gone 14 games undefeated and wouldn’t be through to the last 16 in the Champions League”, he added. “We wanted to attack and win back the ball high up the field but it didn’t come off. We’re all responsible for it not going well, now we look for unity in the group and to try and sort this out in the next game”, Benitez said.

Manager Mircea Lucescu will likely bring in Ivan Ordets and Vyacheslav Shevchuk into the starting line-up, while Vitali Vitsnets has also been ruled out with a knee problem.

After undergoing a series of tests, Brazil left-back Marcelo was diagnosed with a thigh injury, said the club, still reeling from a 4-0 defeat to arch rivals Barcelona in Saturday’s Clasico.

Speculation about the futures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have surrounded Madrid’s fortunes this season, with no sign of abating.