Champions League Matchday 4: Shakhtar Donetsk vs Sporting CP facts
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Article summary
Previous meetings, club facts and key stats ahead of the UEFA Champions League Matchday 4 game.
Article top media content
Article body
Shakhtar Donetsk and Sporting CP are both looking to get back on track after their first UEFA Champions League defeats of the season as they meet at Stamford Bridge on Matchday 4.
Previous meetings
The sides' only previous fixtures came in the 2008/09 group stage, when Sporting won 1-0 away on Matchday 3 through a Liedson goal and 1-0 at home on Matchday 4 with Derlei on target.
Sporting are unbeaten in their eight matches against Ukrainian opposition (W7 D1) and have won all four in the Champions League proper – their 2008 games against Shakhtar following a 2-1 away victory and 3-0 home success against Dynamo Kyiv in 2007/08.
The Portuguese side's most recent fixtures brought a 2-1 away win and 3-0 home success against Vorskla Poltava in the 2018/19 UEFA Europa League group stage.
Shakhtar's last games against a team from Portugal ended in two defeats by Porto in the 2023/24 Champions League group stage (1-3 h, 3-5 a).
None of Shakhtar's 22 matches against Portuguese opposition finished goalless.
Club history
The Ukrainian side are making a ninth appearance in ten seasons in the Champions League proper, and a 20th overall. They have featured in all but two of the last 17 seasons.
The Pitmen have failed to progress to the knockout rounds in each of the last seven campaigns; they were 27th in the 2024/25 league phase (W2 D1 L5).
Shakhtar reached the Conference League semi-finals in 2025/26, losing 2-5 on aggregate to eventual winners Crystal Palace.
The Lions are making their 13th appearance in the Champions League proper, and a fifth in six seasons.
Sporting were seventh in last season's league phase (W5 D1 L2) and beat Bodø/Glimt in a remarkable round of 16 tie (0-3 a, 5-0 h aet) before bowing out against eventual runners-up Arsenal in the quarter-finals (0-1 aggregate), equalling their longest European Cup run.
Links and trivia
A 0-1 loss at ten-man Inter last time out was only Shakhtar's fourth in their last 13 UEFA competition games (W6 D3).
The Ukrainian club have lost only one of the 23 home matches in the Champions League proper in which they led at half-time (W18 D4).
On this day in 2010, Shakhtar beat Arsenal 2-1 at home in the group stage.
Sporting's four-game winning run in the league phase was ended by a 2-3 home loss against debutants LASK on Matchday 3.
Sporting have scored in their last 21 group stage/league phase matches.
None of Sporting's last 63 Champions League group stage/league phase matches has finished goalless, since a 0-0 draw at Bayern München in October 2006.
Luis Suárez has scored in three consecutive Champions League appearances, equalling the Sporting record held by Sá Pinto and Nani. A goal against Shakhtar would set a new club record and equal Luis Díaz's Colombian record of four.
A Matchday 3 double against LASK made Suárez Sporting's leading scorer in the Champions League proper on nine goals.
On this day in 2021, Sporting beat Beşiktaş 4-0 at home in the group stage.