AEK faces Shakhtar Donetsk (10:00 p.m.), at London’s “Stamford Bridge,” in the second matchday of the Champions League group stage, aiming to secure its second victory in the competition.
Marko Nikolić’s team got off to the best possible start in Europe, defeating Linz 1-0 in their opener. Now, they aim to build on these positive results, knowing that another three points will keep them on track to advance to the next round.
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Enosis is coming off a convincing 3-0 victory over OFI, in a match where they displayed focus and efficiency, capitalizing on set pieces. Relvas and Mukundi found the back of the net, while Gacinović sealed the final result in stoppage time.
The challenge for AEK is to put forth a similar performance on the road against an opponent that demonstrated its capabilities in the season opener, earning a 1-1 draw against PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
Shakhtar, with Arda Turan on the bench, is in good form, having defeated Veres Rivne 3-0 in its most recent Ukrainian league match and remaining at the top of the table. At the same time, they have lost only once this season across all competitions, a fact that underscores their strength.
The match, however, will be played at a neutral venue, which deprives Shakhtar of its home-field advantage. AEK must take advantage of the situation and secure a result that will significantly boost its chances of advancing.
On the competitive front, Marko Nikolić also addressed the status of Barnabas Varga, who traveled with the team and is available for the match.
However, the Serbian coach made it clear that he does not want to take any risks with his participation, with the final decision depending on his readiness.
On the other hand, Arda Turan spoke very highly of Nikolić, describing him as an exceptional coach, while making it clear that he remains committed to Shakhtar, despite the interest in him taking over as head coach of the Turkish national team.
Possible starting lineups:
Shakhtar Donetsk (Arda Turan): Riznik, Vinicius, Matvienko, Bodar, Pedro Henrique, Nazarina, Ocheretko, Mendoza, Alisson, Pedrino, Kawa Elias.
AEK (Marko Nikolić): Brignoli, Rota, Mukundi, Relvas, Pilios, Marin, Vitalis, Meyer, Koita, Zini, Jović.
Referee: Chris Kavanagh (England)
Assistant Referees: Dan Cook, Ian Hassin (England)
Fourth Official: Sam Barrot (England)
VAR: Stuart Atwell (England)
AVAR: Andrew Dallas (Scotland)
*photo source: AP
