Barcelona v Shakhtar Donetsk: Champions League match facts
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
- This is the eighth encounter between the respective Spanish and Ukrainian champions and Barcelona have recorded four wins to Shakhtar's two, with one draw.
- Barcelona won the most recent meeting at the Stade Louis II in Monaco where substitute Pedro Rodríguez's 115th-minute goal won them the UEFA Super Cup on 28 August 2009.
- When the clubs last met at the Camp Nou in the UEFA Champions League, Shakhtar prevailed 3-2 in their final game of the 2008/09 group stage. Olexandr Gladkiy (2) and Fernandinho scored for the visitors – their side's only three attempts on target – while Sylvinho and Sergio Busquets replied for Barcelona. That was Shakhtar's first victory in Spain but came too late to earn them qualification as they were already fixed in third place with Barcelona first. Barcelona went on to win the UEFA Champions League and Shakhtar the UEFA Cup. Shakhtar had earlier run Barcelona close at the RSC Olympiyskiy Stadium. Leading through Ilsinho's 45th-minute goal, they conceded twice in a dramatic finale as Lionel Messi equalised (87), then struck again four minutes into added time.
- Barcelona recorded 3-0 wins in the clubs' two previous meetings in Catalonia. Hans Krankl, Migueli and Tente Sanchez earned them victory in the 1978/79 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round. Their eventual 4-1 aggregate triumph proved the first step en route to lifting the trophy.
- The sides met again at the Camp Nou in the 2004/05 group stage when Deco, Ronaldinho (penalty) and Samuel Eto'o got the goals. Shakhtar won the return 2-0 but, as in 2009, ended up in third place.
MATCH BACKGROUND
- Barcelona's UEFA Champions League record at the Camp Nou is formidable, with four straight victories and 12 goals scored this term. Another success against Shakhtar would make it nine home wins in a row overall, stretching back to a 2-1 defeat by FC Rubin Kazan on 20 October 2009.
- Shakhtar have won three of four matches on the road this term, hitting three goals at SC Braga, FK Partizan and, in the last 16, AS Roma. The one blemish was a 5-1 loss at Arsenal in October.
- Barcelona's 4-0 defeat by FC Dynamo Kyiv in 1997/98 represents their joint biggest home loss in UEFA competition.
- Shakhtar have only drawn once in Spain, against Sevilla in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup round of 16. Tomas Hubschman scored in a 2-2 first-leg draw. Sevilla, featuring future Barcelona pair Daniel Alves and Adriano, won the return 3-2 – after goalkeeper Andres Palop's goal had forced extra time – and were the eventual tournament winners.
UEFA MILESTONES AND STATS
BARCELONA
- Lionel Messi's second goal against Arsenal on Matchday Eight was Barcelona's 750th in UEFA competition.
- Barcelona have committed 76 fouls, fewer than any other team left in the competition.
- Messi is Barca's all-time leading scorer in the competition with 33 goals in 52 games. He overtook Rivaldo (25 in 45) on Matchday One.
- Messi has scored eight this season and is the competition's leading scorer with Samuel Eto'o and Mario Gomez.
- Gerard Pique is available after a one-game suspension; Andres Iniesta is within a yellow card of a ban.
SHAKHTAR DONETSK
- Shakhtar have conceded 199 goals in UEFA competition.
- The Ukrainian side have committed 140 fouls and suffered 132, both more than any other team in the last eight.
- Darijo Srna has been fouled 20 times, more than any player still involved.
- Srna, Luiz Adriano, Razvan Rat, Dmytro Chygrynskiy, Henrik Mkhitaryan and Olexiy Gai will incur a ban with their next yellow cards.
You might also be interested in: