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PSV vs Shakhtar Donetsk Champions League Predictions - Pepi’s goals to sink Shakhtar

Simon Lewis

Editor

Last updated: 09 Sep 2026

Simon Lewis 09 Sep 2026

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PSV have conceded just four goals in their last four matches.
Shakhtar Donetsk have lost just one of their last 10 matches.
Can PSV beat Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League opener on 10 September to secure their fifth win on the bounce?

Expired

Ricardo Pepi scores against Ajax (Getty Images).

PSV vs Shakhtar Donetsk Predictions

PSV are on a good run of wins, are scoring freely and should be too strong for a Shakhtar Donetsk side that’s been winning against lower-ranked sides.

PSV vs Shakhtar Donetsk Predictions
Head-to-Head
PSV Form
Shakhtar Donetsk Form
PSV vs Shakhtar Donetsk Team News & Squads

PSV have scored 18 goals in their last 5 matches.
PSV have scored 3-plus goals in 6 of their last 10 matches.
PSV’s Ricardo Pepi has scored 3 goals in his last 4 matches.
Shakhtar Donetsk have failed to score in 3 of their last 7 matches.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s Alisson has scored 4 goals in 8 games.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s Luca Meirelles has scored 2 goals off the bench in 93 minutes of game time.

Head-to-Head

The two teams have met just once, back in 2024 when PSV beat Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2 at home.

PSV Form

PSV Eindhoven began another Champions League campaign in excellent domestic form after establishing themselves as the dominant force in Dutch football. Peter Bosz’s side have won three consecutive Eredivisie titles and opened the new season with four wins and a draw from five league matches, scoring freely in the process.

Their attacking strength was central to last season’s title triumph, when they scored 101 league goals, and they have already struck 18 times this term. Europe has proved more difficult, however. PSV finished only 28th in last season’s Champions League league phase and have lost four of their last five home matches in the competition.

They have also suffered defeat in each of their last five Champions League opening fixtures. Even so, recent wins over Utrecht and Ajax should provide confidence, while PSV have won their last three European meetings with Ukrainian opposition. Mauro Junior is suspended, with Alassane Plea, Sami Ouaissa and Jerdy Schouten sidelined.

Shakhtar Donetsk Form

Shakhtar Donetsk return to the Champions League after winning their 16th Ukrainian top-flight title last season and have made another strong start domestically. Arda Turan’s side have won four of their first five league matches, including a comeback victory over Karpaty Lviv, and currently sit second in the standings. Their away form has been particularly impressive, with Shakhtar unbeaten on the road throughout last season’s league campaign and victorious in all three away matches so far this term.

European competition remains complicated by their continued exile from the Donbas Arena, with Champions League home fixtures scheduled to be played at Stamford Bridge this season. Shakhtar missed out on the Champions League last year but reached the Conference League semi-finals and have lost only two of their last eight European group or league-phase matches.

They also have a solid record against Dutch opposition. Kiril Fesyun, Pedrinho and Marlon Santos are unavailable for the trip to Eindhoven.

PSV vs Shakhtar Donetsk Team News & Squads

PSV (predicted XI): Kovar; Dest, Geertruida, Obispo, Kostic; Sano, Fernandez; Perisic, Til, Van Bommel; Pepi

Shakhtar Donetsk (predicted XI): Riznyk; Karavaev, Bondar, Matvienko, Henrique; Ocheretko, Nazaryna, Gomes; Alisson, Elias, Newerton

Verdict

PSV v Shakhtar Donetsk

I am backing PSV to win. I am also backing Ricardo Pepi to score for PSV. Luca Meirelles offers great value to score from the bench for Shakhtar Donetsk.

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Simon is a talented sports writer in South Africa with a strong focus on cricket having played first-team level for UCT, including playing at two Universities Weeks.

From a young age Simon was an avid reader of cricket magazines and books, and went on to be Editor of The Googly, CricketScene SA and SA Cricket, in addition to being a Features Writer on SA Sports Illustrated.

He has interviewed most of South Africa's premier cricketers and was the first writer to interview a teenaged Jacques Kallis.

Simon has also written about English and local football, rugby and cricket, in addition to major international tennis and golf stars and competitions.

You can follow more from Simon at Muckrack, X and LinkedIn.