Dnipro-based Shakhtar got off to a successful start in the new Champions League season, drawing with Dutch side PSV in Eindhoven. According to UEFA's official website, this result had a positive impact on Ukraine's position in the coefficient table, reports Sport RBC.UA. The away draw added an extra 0.250 points to Ukrainian football's tally, on top of the 1.500 points earned for reaching the main round of the tournament.
Ukraine's position in the five-year ranking
After the first matchday results were taken into account, Ukraine sits in 23rd place in UEFA's five-year coefficient ranking with a total of 24.337 points. According to specialist publications, all other countries in this part of the table also kept their positions, while Shakhtar's draw allowed Ukrainian football to widen the gap over its closest pursuers, in particular over Israel, which failed to pick up any points in the same matchday.
The competitive landscape in the 20th–26th place zone
A notable feature of the matchday was the situation in the competitive 20th–26th place zone: among all rival nations, only the Ukrainian club managed to score points, while the representatives of Slovakia and Azerbaijan suffered defeats. This temporarily strengthened Ukraine's position in the fight to hold the spot that opens a more favourable route into the Champions League.
Strategic goal: keeping the 23rd position
The main task for Ukraine remains holding a position no lower than 23rd. Meeting this condition will allow the 2027/28 Ukrainian Premier League champion to start the Champions League from the second qualifying round rather than the first, which significantly reduces the club's workload at the early stages of European competition and increases the chances of reaching the main part of the tournament.
Outlook and upcoming matches
Going forward, the battle over the ranking will intensify: Ukraine currently has no representatives in the Europa League or the Conference League, while rivals from neighbouring positions will be able to earn additional points through their own clubs. Shakhtar's next European match will be on 14 October against Greece's AEK, and the result of that game will once again affect the dynamics of Ukraine's row in UEFA's coefficient table.
