On Wednesday, October 21, Donetsk's Shakhtar will once again face AC Milan's Inter in the Champions League group stage. For the "miners," this is already the eighth duel against the Italian giants in their rivalry's history, and, as statistics show, so far a joyless one. The Milanese enter the match in a difficult position—with two defeats in the first two rounds of the tournament—while the Donetsk side aims to finally break their winless streak and seek revenge for all previous encounters.
Team conditions before the match
Both teams secured victories in their domestic championships on the eve of the European duel, but they did so in different ways. Shakhtar overcame Kolos without visible problems, while Inter snatched a comeback victory over Bologna, expending significant energy. This circumstance may play into the hands of the Donetsk side: the opponent, having played a grueling Serie A match, risks entering the game in Milan in less than optimal physical condition.
Rotation and personnel losses
An additional advantage for the "miners" was the rotation that head coach Arda Turan implemented in the match against Kolos: Prosper Obah, Meirelles, and Bruninho got their minutes. Shakhtar travels to Milan with an almost full-strength squad—in fact, the only missing player is one recovering from a shoulder injury. Inter's losses are much more significant: the team will not be able to count on their main striker and leader, Lautaro Martinez, who already has six goals and one assist to his name at the start of the season. In addition to the Argentine, Pavard, Stones, and Jones are also on the injury list.
History of the rivalry
Inter and Shakhtar are regular rivals in European competitions: since 2005, the teams have met seven times in the Champions League and Europa League. However, the "miners" have yet to record a single victory over the Italian giants, which makes the upcoming duel even more motivating for the Donetsk side as they strive to finally rewrite this statistic.
Where to watch the match and who will commentate
The Champions League duel between Inter and Shakhtar will be shown by the OTT service MEGOGO, which is the official broadcaster of the tournament. The match will be available in the "Sport" section and on the "MEGOGO Football First" channel with a "Sport" subscription and in all MEGOPACKs. Sergey Lukyanenko will be the commentator for the match, while presenter Vitaly Kravchenko and experts Oleksandr Golovko and Vadym Skichko will work in the studio before the match.
The choice of referee also deserves special attention: it was previously reported that Shakhtar's next Champions League match was entrusted to a referee whose work had already been a subject of discussion after a game involving Dynamo. Thus, the Donetsk side approaches the eighth meeting with Inter with a full set of factors—from personnel advantages to historical motivation—and will try to take the upper hand for the first time in this series.
