Arsenal's next Champions League match is here, and it's against a relative unknown in Shakhtar Donetsk. The defending Ukrainian champions sat 27th in the Champions League "League Stage" after two games, having scrapped to a pretty evenly-matched draw at Bologna and been thoroughly dominated when they "hosted" Atalanta in Germany.
The Hirnyky are led by Marino Pusic, now in his second year. The manager favors a 4-2-3-1 heavy on possession and attack in his domestic league, and has attempted to expand that to Europe's biggest contest so far, with 49.5% possession through two games. However, it will come as no surprise to see the side favor structure and defensive solidity in this matchup.
Shakhtar's key players include Artem Bondarenko, a playmaking midfielder on the right half of the pitch, as well as Georgiy Sudakov, a more left-sided playmaker who profiles a bit more as a 10. The latter has been linked with Arsenal in the past!
However, I'm going a bit more pragmatic in my selection for a key player to watch in this matchup, fully anticipating Shakhtar's need to play solid defense and catch Arsenal on the counter. For that reason, I'm keeping a close eye on Oleksandr Zubkov, the 28-year-old wide man.
Zubkov is one of eight Shakhtar players to have started both Champions League games so far, and it's likely he starts again as a right-sided attacker Tuesday. Zubkov is Shakhtar's fastest player, though fellow attacker and potential starting left-winger Eguinaldo may come close. That speed paired with his technical ability could make him a tough matchup for either Riccardo Calafiori or Jurrien Timber, or a potential rotated choice as left-back, if Arteta is feeling frisky.
Zubkov is in only his third year at Shakhtar despite his age, but he's no stranger to Champions League matches. An appearance at Arsenal will be his 20th in the league for his career, with five goal contributions including two tricky goals against Real Madrid below. Neither of these is truly on the break but you can see his penchant for finding space and his ability to finish a chance on display here.
Whether Shakhtar are able to establish possession or rely more on transitions and counter-attacking opportunities, they'd better keep an eye on Zubkov to ensure the best result.