Bologna vs Shakhtar Donetsk

Stadio Renato Dall’Ara forms the backdrop for Bologna’s maiden appearance in the Champions League main phase as they take on perennial participants Shakhtar Donetsk in round one.

Bologna defied the odds to secure a fifth-place finish in Serie A last term and end a 60-year wait for Champions League football, qualifying for Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since their most recent Scudetto in 1964. However, ‘I Rossoblu’ fell victim to last season’s success, losing overachieving manager Thiago Motta and standout performers Riccardo Calafiori and Joshua Zirkzee over the summer. Motta’s successor, Vincenzo Italiano, has gone winless in his first four league matches in charge of Bologna (D3, L1), extending the club’s disappointing run without a win to six outings, stretching back to late May. The hosts could perhaps draw confidence from hauling back a two-goal deficit in a dramatic 2-2 draw against Serie A newcomers Como at the weekend.

In the meantime, Shakhtar Donetsk boast far more European experience as they gear up for their eighth consecutive campaign in the Champions League main phase. They’ve missed out on just one of the last 15 seasons at Europe’s top table, while their most recent match against Serie A opposition on Italian soil dates back to the 2021/22 Champions League group stages when they lost 2-0 at Inter Milan. That loss has worsened Shakhtar’s dismal away record against Italian clubs (W2, D3, L10), casting doubt on their hopes of getting the latest Champions League edition off to a flyer. Since just one of Shakhtar’s last 23 fixtures has ended level (W18, L4), a draw is a remote possibility, suggesting this clash could go either way.