Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Barcelona are both respected teams in the realm of Champions League football. However, their journeys through Europe's premier competition have taken divergent paths.
Shakhtar Donetsk are yet to reach a Champions League semi-final. Despite that, the Ukrainian club has etched its own unique chapter in UEFA Champions League history. Their most noteworthy foray in the competition came during the 2010/11 season when they advanced to the quarter-finals, ultimately falling to the eventual champions, FC Barcelona.
While Shakhtar Donetsk may be incapable of recounting Champions League glory, they have achieved some success on the European front. Their inaugural triumph arrived in 2009 in the UEFA Cup, beating Werder Bremen 2-1 in the final.
In stark contrast, FC Barcelona stands as one of the most successful clubs in the history of the Champions League. The club is famed for its world-class youth academy and its unwavering commitment to the beautiful game.
FC Barcelona's greatest era came under the astute guidance of Pep Guardiola from 2008 to 2012. With Leo Messi at the peak of his powers, Barcelona clinched two Champions League trophies, prevailing over Manchester United in the 2009 and 2011 finals. Messi won a total of four Champions League trophies during his time at Barcelona, winning the competition in 2006 and 2015.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs FC Barcelona Head to Head
Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Barcelona found themselves drawn together once more in the 2023/24 Champions League group stage, rekindling their competitive rivalry after more than a decade. Their previous encounter transpired during the 2010/11 Champions League quarter-finals. It came as no surprise that Barcelona’s tiki-taka playing team emphatically triumphed over the Ukrainian outfit with an aggregate scoreline of 6-1.
However, Shakhtar can take pride in their historical confrontations with Barcelona. They managed a thrilling 3-2 victory at the Camp Nou during the 2008/09 Champions League group stage, and Shakhtar secured a memorable 2-0 win on home soil in 2004, when a youthful Messi graced the field.
Additionally, the two clubs clashed in the 2009 Super Cup final, with Barcelona narrowly securing a 1-0 win thanks to an extra-time winner by Pedro.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs FC Barcelona Connections
The one prominent link between these two clubs is Ukrainian defender Dmytro Chyhrynskyi. Barcelona made a significant investment of €25 million to acquire Chyhrynskyi from Shakhtar Donetsk in August 2009. Despite high expectations, the defender's tenure at the Camp Nou was short-lived and he returned to Shakhtar just 11 months later, leaving an intriguing mark on the connection between these clubs.
