UEFA Champions League - 2019/20 SeasonMatch press kits

Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester City have been drawn together in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the third year in a row, and the Ukrainian side will hope for a more positive outcome than last season.

• In 2018/19 City won 3-0 in Kharkiv – the first English club to win an away game against Shakhtar – and 6-0 in Manchester, their record UEFA Champions League win although that was subsequently surpassed by the 7-0 defeat of Schalke in the round of 16 second leg.

• City are aiming to reach the knockout stages for the seventh season in a row; Shakhtar have made it to the last 16 in four of their last eight UEFA Champions League appearances, although they missed out 12 months ago.

Previous meetings
• David Silva, Aymeric Laporte and Bernardo Silva got City's goals at the Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv on 23 October 2018, ending Shakhtar's seven-game unbeaten record at home to English clubs (W5 D2).

• David Silva also opened the scoring in City's 6-0 home win on matchday four, Gabriel Jesus contributing a hat-trick that included two penalties and Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez completing the scoring. City went through to the round of 16 as group winners, while Shakhtar finished third in the section.

• The teams were paired together for the first time in the 2017/18 group stage, when home sides held the upper hand. City were 2-0 winners in Manchester on matchday two, Kevin De Bruyne and Sterling scoring at the start and end of the second half to secure the points.

• Josep Guardiola's side travelled to Ukraine for their final fixture with a place in the round of 16 already assured, but looking to make it six wins out of six in the section. Instead Shakhtar secured their own place in the knockout stages with a 2-1 victory, goals from Bernard and Ismaily proving enough despite Sergio Agüero's added-time penalty.

Form guide
Shakhtar
• Shakhtar qualified as winners of the Ukrainian league, claiming the title for the 12th time in 2018/19, when they completed a domestic double for the third season in succession.

• Quarter-finalists in 2010/11, Shakhtar won only one of their six matches in last season's group stage, picking up six points to finish behind City and Lyon in Group F. They picked up only two points at home, drawing with Hoffenheim and Lyon and losing to City, going on to lose 6-3 on aggregate to Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Europa League round of 32 (2-2 h, 1-4 a).

• The Donetsk club have lost only two of their last 18 home matches in Europe (W11 D5), although they have not won any of the last four. They have not kept a clean sheet in any of the last nine.

• Shakhtar have got out of their UEFA Champions League group in three of their last six participations.

• A 3-2 victory at Hoffenheim on matchday five last season is Shakhtar's only win in their last nine European matches (D4 L4).

Manchester City
• Champions of England for the second season running and sixth overall – four of those titles having come in the last eight years – City also lifted the FA Cup and League Cup in 2018/19, becoming the first English club to win all three domestic trophies in one season.

• This is the Citizens' ninth UEFA Champions League campaign; they have been involved in the group stage every season since 2011/12 and have reached the round of 16 or better in the last six campaigns.

• In 2018/19, City recovered from a matchday one defeat at home to Lyon (1-2) to finish first in Group F ahead of the French club, Shakhtar and Hoffenheim, picking up 13 points. They brushed aside Schalke 10-2 on aggregate in the last 16, but for the second year running lost to English opposition in the quarter-finals, Tottenham eliminating them on away goals after a dramatic 4-4 aggregate draw (0-1 a, 4-3 h).

• Guardiola's side have won eight of their last 15 European matches, home and away – losing six. Away from home it is four wins in seven matches (D1 L2), both defeats coming in England.

• City's record in Ukraine is W2 L2, last season's victory at Shakhtar adding to a 3-1 success at Dynamo Kyiv in the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League round of 16.

• City's best UEFA Champions League performance was reaching the 2015/16 semi-finals.

Links and trivia
• Shakhtar's record European defeat was a 7-0 loss at Guardiola's Bayern München in the 2014/15 round of 16. The Pitmen lost four of their five fixtures against Barcelona when Guardiola was in charge, including the 2009 UEFA Super Cup (0-1); their ten games against clubs coached by the Spaniard make him their most frequent opponent in European competition.

• Fernandinho was a Shakhtar player between 2005 and 2013 when he left for City, scoring 31 goals in 183 league outings. He was named Ukraine's Premier League player of the year in 2007/08, and amassed six league titles, four Ukrainian Cups and the 2008/09 UEFA Cup.

• Fernandinho's Shakhtar team-mates included Andriy Pyatov, Serhiy Kryvtsov, Taras Stepanenko, Taison, Alan Patrick and Dentinho.

• Oleksandr Zinchenko was initially a trainee Shakhtar, but left the club in 2014 without making a senior appearance. He signed for City in July 2016 following a spell with Russian side Ufa.

• Yevhen Konoplyanka scored in Sevilla's 2-1 defeat at City of Manchester Stadium in the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Konoplyanka was also on target against England at Wembley in a 1-1 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw. Sterling and Kyle Walker were unused substitutes.

• International team-mates:
Taison, Ismaily & Fernandinho, Ederson, Gabriel Jesus (Brazil)
Andriy Pyatov, Serhiy Kryvtsov, Taras Stepanenko, Viktor Kovalenko, Marlos, Bohdan Butko, Mykola Matviyenko, Yevhen Konoplyanka, Serhiy Bolbat, Júnior Moraes & Oleksandr Zinchenko (Ukraine)

Latest news

Shakhtar
• Summer transfers
In: Yevhen Konoplyanka (Schalke), Vitão (Palmeiras)
Out: Ivan Petryak (Fehérvár), Oleksandr Zubkov (Ferencváros, loan), Oleg Danchenko (Rubin), Ivan Ordets (Dinamo Moskva), Valeriy Bondarenko (Vitória SC, loan), Eduard Sobol (Club Brugge, loan), Wellington Nem (Fluminense, loan), Olarenwaju Kayode (Gazişehir Gaziantep, loan), Gustavo Blanco Leschuk (Antalyaspor), Fernando (Sporting CP, loan)

• Luís Castro replaced his Roma-bound compatriot Paulo Fonseca as Shakhtar head coach in June.

• Shakhtar opened this season with a 2-1 Ukrainian Super Cup loss to Dynamo Kyiv, their third defeat in four years in the competition against their great rivals.

• That is Shakhtar's only defeat this season; their first seven league games have brought seven wins, 23 goals scored and only six conceded.

• Shakhtar shipped half that total at home to Zorya on Saturday, recovering from 0-2 down to win 4-3 through a late Júnior Moraes goal, his second of the game.

• Shakhtar are now unbeaten in 36 league games (W31 D5), since a 1-0 away loss to Dynamo Kyiv on 3 August 2018.

• Júnior Moraes has seven goals and four assists in Shakhtar's eight competitive matches this season.

• Marlos, who scored the second against Zorya on Saturday, has five goals and two assists in eight games for Shakhtar this season.

• The Pitmen won 2-1 at Dynamo on 10 August thanks to goals from Júnior Moraes and Marlos.

• Manor Solomon provided an assist in each of Israel's two European Qualifiers in early September, against North Macedonia (1-1) and Slovenia (2-3).

• Shakhtar's Danylo Sikan and Valeriy Bondar were key players of the Ukraine side that won the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland this summer.

Manchester City
• Summer transfers
In: Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew), Angeliño (PSV), Rodri (Atlético Madrid), João Cancelo (Juventus), Scott Carson (Derby County, loan), Pedro Porro (Girona)
Out: Vincent Kompany (Anderlecht), Fabian Delph (Everton), Patrick Roberts (Norwich City, loan), Tom Dele-Bashiru (Watford), Zack Steffen (Fortuna Düsseldorf, loan), Philippe Sandler (Anderlecht, loan), Taylor Richards (Brighton), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Yangel Herrera (Granada, loan), Lukas Nmecha (Wolfsburg, loan), Danilo (Juventus), Pedro Porro (Real Valladolid, loan), Eliaquim Mangala (Valencia), Jeremie Frimpong (Celtic), Lorenzo González (Málaga), Aleix García (Mouscron)

• City won the FA Community Shield for the sixth time overall – and second year in a row – with a 5-4 shoot-out defeat of Liverpool at Wembley on 4 August, Raheem Sterling scoring City's goal in a 1-1 draw.

• Including that fixture, City were unbeaten in 13 matches in all competitions (W11 D2), since a 1-0 loss at Tottenham in last season's UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg, before going down 3-2 at Norwich on Saturday evening.

• That was City's first defeat against a promoted club in 25 matches, since a 1-0 loss at Burnley in March 2015. They had been unbeaten in all 18 such matches under Josep Guardiola.

• Sergio Agüero has found the net in City's first five league games of the season, scoring seven goals in all. The Argentinian is the third player to score in the first five matches of a Premier League season after José Antonio Reyes (Arsenal 2004/05) and Wayne Rooney (Manchester United 2011/12).

• Summer signing Rodri got his first City goal at Norwich.

• Sterling has scored six goals in City's six games this season, and was also on target in England's 4-0 defeat of Bulgaria at Wembley on 7 September and the 5-3 win against Kosovo three days later, when he provided three assists.

• Bernardo Silva provided two assists for Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal's 5-1 win against Lithuania on 10 September.

• Oleksandr Zinchenko found the net in Ukraine's 3-0 win in Lithuania on 7 September and the 2-2 friendly draw against Nigeria three days later.

• Kevin De Bruyne scored one goal and set up the other three as Belgium won 4-0 in Scotland on 9 September. Phil Foden got both goals as England's Under-21 side beat Kosovo 2-0 the same night.

• Aymeric Laporte damaged the cartilage and lateral meniscus in his right knee during a 4-0 home win against Brighton on 31 August and is expected to be sidelined for around six months.

• Leroy Sané is also facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee during the Community Shield against Liverpool.

• Benjamin Mendy (knee) has not played since 17 April, while John Stones (10 August) and Gabriel Jesus (17 August) returned from thigh problems to feature at Norwich.

Date of birth: 3 September 1961
Nationality: Portuguese
Playing career: Leiria (twice), Vieirense, Vitória SC, Elvas, Fafe, Águeda
Coaching career: Águeda, Mealhada, Estarreja, Sanjoanense, Penafiel, Porto (youth), Porto B (twice), Porto, Rio Ave, Chaves, Vitória SC, Shakhtar Donetsk

• A right-back, most of Luís Castro's 17-year playing career was spent in the lower leagues, although he did feature for Vitória SC and Elvas in the top flight.

• His seven years at Águeda, which started in 1990, marked Castro's longest stay at a club and was only ended by his retirement in 1997; moved into coaching with the same team the following year, leaving his post in 2000.

• Went on to have short spells with lower-league Mealhada, Estarreja and Sanjoanense before taking charge of top-flight Penafiel in 2004; remained in charge for two years, guiding them to 11th place in his first campaign – which included a 1-0 home win against Benfica – but leaving at the end of the following campaign after relegation.

• Moved into Porto's youth system, going on to spend ten years at the Dragons, including a short stint as caretaker coach to the first team at the end of the 2013/14 campaign; guided the club to third place in the league – and past Napoli in the UEFA Europa League – having stepped up following Paulo Fonseca's departure.

• After returning to Porto's B team, winning the second division title in 2015/16, Castro moved on to become head coach of Rio Ave; spent a season there, then one at both Chaves and Vitória SC; in June 2019 he replaced Fonseca again, taking over at Shakhtar following his compatriot's departure for Roma.

Date of birth: 18 January 1971
Nationality: Spanish
Playing career: Barcelona, Brescia (twice), Roma, Al-Ahly Club, Dorados de Sinola
Coaching career: Barcelona B, Barcelona, Bayern München, Manchester City

• Known as 'Pep', he came up through Barcelona's youth ranks to win six Spanish Liga titles, one European Champion Clubs' Cup, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and two Copa del Rey trophies from 1990 to 2001. Also had spells with Brescia, Roma, al-Ahly in Doha and Mexico's Dorados de Sinola before ending his playing career in 2006. Won 47 caps and Olympic footballing gold with Spain in 1992, but missed the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups through injury.

• Having coached Barcelona's B team, he took charge of the senior side in 2008 and won the UEFA Champions League, Spanish Liga and Copa del Rey in his first season. That was just the beginning of a glorious four-season spell which yielded 14 trophies. In his second campaign, Guardiola steered Barcelona to a second Liga title as well as the Spanish and UEFA Super Cups and the FIFA Club World Cup. Even more sucess followed in 2010/11 as Barcelona completed a hat-trick of Spanish titles and, for the second time under Guardiola, got the better of Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final.

• In his final season, 2011/12, Guardiola's team won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup once more before he signed off his reign with a second Copa del Rey triumph. After a year's break, Guardiola took charge of Bayern in June 2013, replacing Jupp Heynckes.

• Collected the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, German Cup and, with a record seven games to spare, the Bundesliga title in his first season in Germany. Secured his second successive Bundesliga title the following season, and Bayern again dominated domestically in 2015/16, but all three of Guardiola's UEFA Champions League campaigns in Bavaria ended in the semi-finals.

• Opted for a new challenge at Manchester City in summer 2016 and, though the first year in charge produced Guardiola's first trophy-less campaign as a coach, he and City delivered in style in 2017/18, racking up 100 points in winning the Premier League and adding the English League Cup; the following season, City became the first English club to win the domestic treble of league – holding off a remarkable Liverpool effort – FA Cup and League Cup.

UEFA Champions League: Did you know?

Overall records
• In 2012/13, Chelsea became the first defending champions to fail to get through a group stage since the UEFA Champions League began. (This record, like the others, includes the seasons between 1999/2000 and 2002/03 that featured a second group stage). In 1992/93, Barcelona were the reigning European Champion Clubs' Cup holders and lost 4-3 on aggregate in the second round to CSKA Moskva.

• In 2016/17 Real Madrid became the first team to successfully defend the UEFA Champions League trophy, with AC Milan (1989, 1990) the previous club to win consecutive European Cups. Milan (1994, 1995), Ajax (1995, 1996), Juventus (1996, 1997) and Manchester United (2008, 2009) have all returned to the UEFA Champions League final as holders only to lose.

• Real Madrid then made it three wins in a row in 2017/18, becoming the fourth club to win three or more successive titles in European Cup history, and the first to do it twice.

• Only two teams have ever won the UEFA Champions League on home soil: Borussia Dortmund (1997, final in Munich) and Juventus (1996, final in Rome), while Manchester United lost the 2011 final in London and 12 months later Bayern were beaten in the showpiece in their own stadium, the Fußball Arena München.

Group stage
• Barcelona have finished as group winners on 20 occasions, four more than Real Madrid and five more than Bayern München and Manchester United. Barça also hold the record for the most unbeaten group stage campaigns with 12, four more than Real Madrid.

• Bayern München (2 April 2013 to 27 November 2013) and Real Madrid (23 April 2014 to 18 February 2015) jointly hold the record for successive wins in the UEFA Champions League proper with ten. Bayern surpassed the previous mark of nine, set by Barcelona between 18 September 2002 and 18 February 2003.

• Six teams have recorded six successive victories in a UEFA Champions League group stage: Milan (1992/93), Paris Saint-Germain (1994/95), Spartak Moskva (1995/96), Barcelona (2002/03, first group stage) and Real Madrid (2011/12 and 2014/15).

• Twenty-one teams have gone through a UEFA Champions League group stage without picking up a single point, most recently AEK Athens in 2018/19.

• In 2017/18, Paris Saint-Germain set a new group stage record by scoring 25 goals, with Liverpool (23) also eclipsing the old mark of 21 set by Borussia Dortmund in 2016/17. Manchester United (1998/99), Barcelona (2011/12, 2016/17) and Real Madrid (2013/14) all managed 20.

• Only Deportivo La Coruña (2004/05), Maccabi Haifa (2009/10) and Dinamo Zagreb (2016/17) have failed to score in a group stage.

• BATE Borisov conceded 24 goals in 2014/15, a new group stage record which was matched by Legia Warszawa in 2016/17. The previous mark, 22, was held by Dinamo Zagreb (2011/12) and Nordsjælland (2012/13); Malmö shipped 21 in 2015/16.

• No team has ever gone through a UEFA Champions League group stage without conceding a goal. Milan (1992/93), Ajax (1995/96), Juventus (1996/97 and 2004/05), Chelsea (2005/06), Liverpool (2005/06), Villarreal (2005/06), Manchester United (2010/11), Monaco (2014/15), Paris Saint-Germain (2015/16) and Barcelona (2017/18) all let in just one.

• Matchday six of the 2013/14 marked FCSB's 23rd successive game in the competition without a victory, surpassing the previous record of 22 set by Spartak Moskva between December 2000 and November 2006.

• Anderlecht hold the unwanted record for successive defeats in the competition, group stage to final, having lost 12 in a row between December 2003 and November 2005. Dinamo Zagreb are next with 11 consecutive losses on two occasions, from September 2011 to November 2012 and ongoing since September 2015.

• The lowest total for a team qualifying from the group stage is six points: Zenit in 2013/14 and Roma in 2015/16. Since three points for a win was introduced in 1995/96, nine teams have made it through with seven points: Legia Warszawa (1995/96), Dynamo Kyiv (1999/2000), Liverpool (2001/02, second group stage), in 2002/03 Lokomotiv Moskva (first group stage) and eventual finalists Juventus (second group stage), Rangers and Werder Bremen (2005/06), Galatasaray (2013/14) and Basel (2014/15).

• Napoli failed to qualify from their group with 12 points in 2013/14, the highest total of any team not to reach the next stage when the top two in each section progressed. Dynamo Kyiv (1999/2000, second group stage), Borussia Dortmund (2002/03, second group stage), PSV Eindhoven (2003/04), Olympiacos and Dynamo Kyiv (both 2004/05), Werder Bremen (2006/07), Manchester City (2011/12), Chelsea and Cluj (both 2012/13), Benfica (2013/14) and Porto (2015/16) all missed out with ten points.

Goalscoring records
• Lionel Messi became the first player to score five goals in a match in Barcelona's 7-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen on 7 March 2012, a feat matched by Shakhtar Donetsk's Luiz Adriano at BATE Borisov on 21 October 2014. Eleven more players, also including Messi, have scored four times in a game, most recently Cristiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid on matchday six in 2015/16.

• Cristiano Ronaldo set a new record for a UEFA Champions League group stage with 11 goals in 2015/16, eclipsing his own mark of nine in 2013/14, which Luiz Adriano matched in 2014/15 and Ronaldo himself equalled in 2017/18. Lionel Messi got ten goals in 2016/17; Zlatan Ibrahimović (2013/14), Ruud van Nistelrooy (2004/05), Filippo Inzaghi, Hernán Crespo (both 2002/03) and Robert Lewandowski (2018/19) managed eight.

• Messi's hat-trick against PSV Eindhoven on matchday one of the 2018/19 competition was his eighth in the competition, a mark Ronaldo matched against Atlético Madrid in that season's round of 16 second leg.

Oldest and youngest players
• Lazio goalkeeper Marco Ballotta is the oldest player to compete in the UEFA Champions League having featured against Real Madrid on matchday six in 2007/08 aged 43 years and 252 days. Alessandro Costacurta is the oldest outfield player; the Milan defender was 40 years and 211 days when he played against AEK Athens in 2006/07.

• Francesco Totti is the oldest player to score in the competition, aged 38 years and 59 days, in Roma's 1-1 draw at CSKA Moskva on 25 November 2014. Ryan Giggs (37 years 290 days) was the previous record holder.

• Celestine Babayaro is the youngest player to have appeared; he was 16 years and 87 days when he started for Anderlecht against Steaua Bucureşti on 23 November 1994. He was sent off in the 37th minute.

• Peter Ofori-Quaye is the youngest player to have scored in the UEFA Champions League, aged 17 years and 195 days. He found the net in Olympiacos's 5-1 defeat at Rosenborg on 1 October 1997.

FC Shakhtar Donetsk
Formed: 1936
Nickname: Hirnyky (The Pitmen)

UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets)
• UEFA Cup (1): 2009
• UEFA Super Cup: (2009)

Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets)
Ukrainian league title: 12 (2019)
USSR/Ukrainian Cup: 17 (2019)

Ten-year European record (UEFA Champions League unless indicated otherwise)
2018/19: UEFA Europa League round of 32 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage)
2017/18: round of 16
2016/17: UEFA Europa League round of 32 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round)
2015/16: UEFA Europa League semi-finals (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage)
2014/15: round of 16
2013/14: UEFA Europa League round of 32 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage)
2012/13: round of 16
2011/12: group stage
2010/11: quarter-finals
2009/10: UEFA Europa League round of 32 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round)

Records
UEFA club competition
• Biggest home win
5-0 three times, most recently v Gent
20/10/16, UEFA Europa League group stage

• Biggest away win
0-7: BATE Borisov v Shakhtar
21/10/14, UEFA Champions League group stage

• Heaviest home defeat
0-3 four times, most recently v Manchester City
23/10/18, UEFA Champions League group stage

• Heaviest away defeat
7-0: Bayern München v Shakhtar
11/03/15, UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg

UEFA Champions League (group stage to final only)
• Biggest home win
5-0 twice, most recently v BATE Borisov
05/11/14, group stage

• Biggest away win
0-7: BATE Borisov v Shakhtar (see above)

• Heaviest home defeat
0-3 four times, most recently v Manchester City (see above)

• Heaviest away defeat
7-0: Bayern München v Shakhtar (see above)

Manchester City FC
Formed: 1894
Nickname: The Citizens

UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets)
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1970

Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets)
League title: 6 (2019)
FA Cup: 6 (2019)
League Cup: 6 (2019)

Ten-year European record (UEFA Champions League unless indicated otherwise)
2018/19: quarter-finals
2017/18: quarter-finals
2016/17: round of 16
2015/16: semi-finals
2014/15: round of 16
2013/14: round of 16
2012/13: group stage
2011/12: UEFA Europa League round of 16 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League group stage)
2010/11: UEFA Europa League round of 16
2009/10: did not take part in UEFA club competition

Records
UEFA club competition
• Biggest home win
7-0: Manchester City v Schalke
12/03/19, UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg

• Biggest away win
0-5: Steaua Bucureşti v Manchester City
16/08/16, UEFA Champions League play-offs, first leg

• Heaviest home defeat
1-3: Manchester City v Bayern München
02/10/13, UEFA Champions League group stage
0-2: Manchester City v Barcelona
18/02/14, UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg

• Heaviest away defeat
4-0: Barcelona v Manchester City
19/10/16, UEFA Champions League group stage

UEFA Champions League (group stage to final)
• Biggest home win
7-0: Manchester City v Schalke (see above)

• Biggest away win
0-4 twice, most recently v Basel
13/02/18, round of 16 first leg

• Heaviest home defeat
1-3: Manchester City v Bayern München (see above)
0-2: Manchester City v Barcelona (see above)

• Heaviest away defeat
4-0: Barcelona v Manchester City (see above)