PSV Eindhoven v Shakhtar Donetsk prediction: Champions League preview, lineups & tips

PSV Eindhoven get their Champions League campaign underway at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, with a top-eight finish in the league phase - and automatic passage to the last 16 - the prize worth chasing.

Miss out on that and it's the play-off round instead, a route nobody particularly wants when there's a straightforward alternative.

For Shakhtar, results away from home have long been a source of pride given the unusual circumstances the club has operated under in recent years, and an opening away trip to the Philips Stadion is as tough a starting assignment as this phase offers.

PSV's history with Shakhtar is short but eventful. The pair last met at Philips Stadion in November 2024, when PSV came from behind at half-time to win 3-2 in that season's league phase.

That remains the only meeting between the two clubs on record, which makes Thursday a rematch nearly two years on rather than a rivalry with much history behind it.

Shakhtar arrive knowing exactly what a trip to Philips Stadion can produce, having been on the wrong end of a five-goal thriller there last time out.

Opening league-phase fixtures rarely see wholesale changes given how much is riding on a fast start, and PSV's home advantage plus the quality gap suggested by the market makes it likely they go close to full strength here.

Where PSV's options are genuinely thinned is in attack, with several forward options unavailable through injury, which could nudge the side toward a slightly different look up top than they'd ideally want.

Shakhtar have no fitness worries flagged for this one, so expect closer to a first-choice XI from the visitors as they try to avoid an opening-night defeat.

Kick-off at Philips Stadion is at 17:45 BST on Thursday, 10 September 2026.

The UK broadcaster for this fixture had not been confirmed at the time of writing, though coverage is also expected to be available via Amazon Prime Video where selected, and this page will be updated closer to kick-off.

This is a league-phase fixture rather than a genuine knockout leg, so there is no extra-time or penalty shootout arrangement here - if it finishes level after 90 minutes, both sides simply take a point.