Displaced Shakhtar remain ominous opponents for Aberdeen

Conference League: Aberdeen v Shakhtar Donetsk

Venue: Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen Date: Thursday, 2 October Kick-off: 20:00 BST

Coverage: Updates connected BBC Radio Scotland Extra & Sounds, unrecorded matter updates connected nan BBC Sport website & app

Cesc Fabregas wheeled distant to observe a punishment shootout victor that sent Spain into nan Euro 2012 last astatine Portugal's disbursal to nan symphony of ecstatic shot fans successful nan eastbound Ukrainian metropolis of Donetsk.

Two years later, that sound was replaced pinch bombardment, gunfire and explosions.

Almost 50,000 group wrong nan awesome Donbas Arena that night, watching stars for illustration Andres Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo, would scarcely person believed that 1 of nan astir costly stadiums ever built successful Europe would beryllium derelict pinch weeds increasing done pockmarked actual and shattered solid lying strewn crossed its pathways truthful soon afterwards.

Once a awesome of footballing hope, nan location of Shakhtar Donetsk has sat abandoned successful occupied territory since 2017, structurally damaged by shelling.

Once nan shot nine was forced to move much than 700 miles westbound to Lviv successful 2014, nan stadium was turned into a humanitarian assistance centre, but aft 3 years moreover that became unsustainable because of nan unrest successful nan region amid tensions pinch Russia.

Shaktar's last lucifer successful nan stadium, which erstwhile staged expansive Champions League affairs pinch Barcelona and Real Madrid, was connected 2 May 2014, a 3-1 triumph complete Mariupol - a shot nine that nary longer exists from a metropolis that hardly exists pursuing nan 2022 escalation and full-scale Russian invasion.

And yet shot endures successful Ukraine, albeit nary further eastbound than Kryvyi Rih, which lies astir 40 miles from nan nearest Russian stronghold successful nan country, and successful beforehand of mostly quiet arenas.

The reminder of what is happening successful nan state is ne'er acold distant pinch matches occasionally interrupted by aerial ambush alerts, pinch 1 of nan hotels nan Shakhtar squad stayed successful past play deed by a missile.

For eastbound clubs for illustration Shakhtar, playing successful exile for much than a decade has been hugely challenging arsenic they hole to sojourn struggling Aberdeen for their Conference League opener connected Thursday.

In truth, each crippled they person played for 10 years has been an distant game, pinch their European 'home' ties taking spot successful nan Polish metropolis of Krakow this season, much than 600 miles from nan Ukrainian border.

Their continental adventures person fixed a consciousness of escapism from what is going connected astatine home.

An illustration of that reality has been Shakhtar taking portion successful nan Ukrainian Amputee Football Championship, which was launched amid a rising number of men afflicted by nan conflict connected nan frontlines.

It says a batch astir nan spot of Shakhtar Donetsk that, contempt their displacement, they person continued to bask occurrence connected nan pitch.

Although they mislaid retired connected nan title past season, they person won nan Ukrainian title six times since they were forced retired of their home.

The last-ever Uefa Cup winners person besides continued to run good successful European competition, regularly reaching nan knockout stages of some nan Champions League and Europa League.

Now, nether caller caput coach and erstwhile Turkey, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid midfielder Arda Turan, they beryllium 2 points clear of defending champions Dynamo Kyiv, having made an unbeaten commencement to nan play - prevention for a Europa League qualifying shootout conclusion by Panathinaikos that landed them successful this tourney for nan first time.

Podcast: Can hopeless Dons rally against Donetsk?

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As has been nan lawsuit for astir of nan past 2 decades, Shakhtar supplement section talent pinch Brazilian natives, though 1 of nan latter, £14m signing Alisson Santana, will miss nan travel to look nan Dons aft breaking a leg.

Captain and 79-times capped Ukraine centre-back Mykola Matvienko leads from nan back, pinch breathtaking midfielder Artem Bondarenko a changeless threat, having scored 12 goals and assisting pinch 8 much past season.

Eighteen-year-old Brazilian midfielder Isaque, who joined from Fluminense successful nan summer, is looking to make a breakthrough successful their maiden Conference League campaign, having scored his his past 2 games.

Compatriots Kaua Elias and Pedrinho are some apt to start, up beforehand and successful midfield respectively, astatine Pittodrie, which could beryllium ominous for Jimmy Thelin's side, pinch nan second grabbing a double astatine nan weekend.

It is, to each intents and purposes, a Champions League squad and they get successful nan Granite City arsenic 1 of nan favourites to triumph nan competition.

They whitethorn beryllium displaced, but Shakhtar's spot successful nan Ukrainian and European footballing bid prevails.