{"id":15563,"date":"2026-10-09T15:02:06","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T19:02:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/?post_type=news&p=15563"},"modified":"2026-10-09T15:02:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T19:02:06","slug":"match-preview-shakhtar-donetsk-vs-aek-athens-14-10-26-champions-league","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/ca\/news\/champions-league\/match-preview-shakhtar-donetsk-vs-aek-athens-14-10-26-champions-league\/","title":{"rendered":"Shakhtar Donetsk vs AEK Athens: Predictions, Picks, Odds & Lineups"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shakhtar Donetsk host AEK Athens at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, October 14 (3:00 PM ET \/ 2:00 PM CT \/ 12:00 PM PT).<\/strong><\/p>\n

No fresh fitness concerns have been flagged for either squad, so Shakhtar Donetsk should field their strongest available group: attacking midfielder Gleiker Mendoza, who scored in their last match, alongside fellow attacking midfielder Isaque Silva, with defensive midfielders Marlon Gomes Claudino and Oleh Ocheretko screening the back line and striker Lassina Traor\u00e9 leading the line. AEK Athens, meanwhile, head into this with strikers Barnab\u00e1s Varga and Luka Jovi\u0107 both in contention up front, midfielder R\u0103zvan Marin pulling the strings behind them, and defenders Lazaros Rota and Filipe Relvas available at the back.<\/p>\n

Both sides’ opening fixtures suggest this one stays tight. Shakhtar Donetsk shared the points in a 1-1 draw away at PSV, a result that leaves them on 1 point from 1 match, while AEK Athens banked a win worth 3 points and a +1 goal difference. Neither has looked like conceding freely so far, and that defensive discipline, set against two attacking outlets in Varga and Marin, points to few goals changing hands rather than an end-to-end shootout.<\/p>\n\n\n