Shakhtar started the Champions League season with a draw against PSV

The season without the UEFA Champions League for Shakhtar Donetsk would be as painful as possible, if it were not for the success in advancing through the Conference League. But this football year, the "miners" managed to return to the game at the highest European club level, after which they received a rather interesting selection of opponents at the so-called league stage. Among them is the Dutch champion PSV from the city of Eindhoven, with whom Marino Pušić's team had already met during their previous adventures in this competition. And again it was an away match. Moreover, right away in the first round, which became an even more important test for such a young team as Shakhtar. Nevertheless, Arda Turan's team did not succumb to all this pressure from the stands and opponents at least in the first half, showing overall control over the situation on the football field. The tension in the meeting was simply insane. The "villagers" very actively wanted to catch the "miners" with high pressing, but they constantly got out of the pressure due to transfers of various caliber. Yes, it should also be noted that the transition to the final third of the field did not work out for Shakhtar at the beginning, and when at least some throws into the penalty area began to appear, the Donetsk team spent too much time making decisions about ending attacks. In the end, it all led to nervous football from both sides. PSV had little going forward, and only the son of the legendary Mark van Bommel on the left flank, with his long legs and explosive speed, constantly caused nerves. But even in the fight, the "miners" did not concede anything to their opponents, and in the last minutes of the first half they even prevailed - Pedrinho Azevedo overtook Desta in the central circle in the fight for the rebound, and while the PSV players were asking for a free kick in their own favor, Izaki already on the left flank of the fast attack gave a pass to Mendoza, who issued a signature shift to the free kick with a kick to the far corner to finish. The stands of Phillips were definitely not ready for this, but Shakhtar's life only became more difficult. This premonition at least did not leave during the break, and when the teams returned to the field, it did not disappoint. In the 48th minute, van Bommel's pass to Obispo on a free kick from the left wing ended with a cross into the center, where Dest put the ball under the far post. The game began on nerves, because the Dutch obviously did not think of stopping. But Shakhtar did everything to ensure that the palpable nervousness of both sides in this game did not turn into anything near the Riznyk goal. In addition to the situation where the goalkeeper of "Miners" himself almost scored a goal in his own goal in the last minutes and simply put Kryskiv under a warning immediately after the midfielder appeared on the field. However, from the outside it seemed that Izaki's moment in the middle of the second half with a shot from the right wing of the free kick into the hands of the goalkeeper was much more dangerous than anything that Peter Bos' team created after the goal. In the next round, Dutch PSV will play away to German RB Leipzig, while Shakhtar Donetsk will host Greek AEK. PSV — Shakhtar 1:1 Goals: Dest, 48 — Mendoza, 45+1 PSV: Kovarj — Dest, Gertreida, Obispo, Kostic (Flamingo, 68) — Thiel, Sano, Wanner — Perisic, Pepi (Mainans, 83), van Bommel. Shakhtar: Riznyk — Vinicius, Bondar, Matvienko, Pedrinho Azevedo — Marlon Gomez, Ocheretko, Izaki (Kryskiv, 89) — Alisson (Lucas, 89), Elias (Traore, 66), Mendoza (Neverton, 67). Warnings: Obispo, van Bommel, Dest - Vinicius, Mendoza, Pedrinho Azevedo, Bondar, Kryskiw, Marlon Gomez