Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season preparations continue with a friendly against Shakhtar Donetsk in London on Sunday, with the charity match raising funds for the people of Ukraine.
Key Takeaways
- Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Singaporean outfit Lion City Sailors 5-1 last time out
- Shakhtar Donetsk have taken four points from their first two league games in 2023-24
- The Ukrainian side are unbeaten in two previous meetings with Spurs
Ange Postecoglou will get another chance to assess his squad on Sunday ahead of Tottenham’s opening Premier League clash with Brentford next weekend. On the flip side, Sunday’s showdown gives Shakhtar Donetsk the opportunity to test themselves against one of England’s top teams.
Tottenham Hotspur Form
Spurs suffered a 3-2 defeat against London rivals West Ham United in their first pre-season friendly, coming from 2-0 down to draw level before Gianluca Scamacca’s late winner.
However, Tottenham bounced straight back with an easy 5-1 victory over Lion City Sailors in Singapore. Following Harry Kane’s equaliser from the penalty spot, Richarlison netted a second-half hat-trick to seal the win for his side.
Spurs recorded their lowest Premier League ranking since 2008-09 last term, finishing eighth after spells under Antonio Conte, Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason. Needless to say, Postecoglou will be eager to improve on his predecessors’ efforts.
Shakhtar Donetsk Form
After winning five of the previous six Ukrainian Premier League titles, Shakhtar Donetsk are expected to triumph once again this season, having already taken four points from a possible six in 2023-24.
Following a mixed bag of pre-season results – including defeats to Dutch giants Ajax and AEK Athens – Patrick van Leeuwen kicked off their domestic campaign with a 2-1 victory over Metalist 1925 before drawing 1-1 with Veres-Rivne last time out.
Unlike Tottenham, Shakhtar will again feature in the UEFA Champions League this season. The Ukrainian powerhouse thrashed RB Leipzig 4-1 before holding Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw last term, underlining their capabilities.
Head-to-Head
The only previous meetings between Spurs and Shakhtar Donetsk came during the 2008-09 UEFA Cup campaign. On their way to lifting the trophy, Shakhtar claimed a 3-1 aggregate victory over Tottenham in the round of 32.
Team News
Tottenham will be without the injured trio of Rodrigo Bentancur, Ryan Sessegnon and Bryan Gil for the foreseeable future, while Yves Bissouma is a doubt for Sunday.
As for Shakhtar Donetsk, Ivan Petryak, Valeriy Bondar and Georgiy Sudakov all look set to miss the trip to London due to injury.
Key Players
It goes without saying that Tottenham’s key player is Harry Kane, who scored 30 goals in 38 Premier League appearances last season. With questions regarding Kane’s future continuing to circulate, Son Heung-min and new signing James Maddison will need to step up.
Shakhtar, on the other hand, possess 22-year-old playmaker Artem Bondarenko, who chalked up 10 goals and six assists last term. At the opposite end of the pitch, highly-rated goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin will aim to keep Spurs quiet.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, Sunday’s result will pale into insignificance due to the charitable nature of the occasion. That said, both sides will be determined to avoid defeat, meaning the fans will likely be treated to an eventful encounter.
Club Friendly Games
Premier League
Ukraine Cup