The Hipster Tie – Shakhtar Donetsk v Borussia Dortmund

Simon Smith and David Dodds preview the mouthwatering Champions League clash between the Ukrainian and German Champions…

Is this the pick of the round? It may not have the glamour of Manchester United versus Real Madrid or the history of Barcelona versus Milan, but there is a certain something about Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Dortmund this season that can be difficult to put your finger on. The tie has a special feel to it. Both teams have flown, rather unfairly, under the radar for the last couple of seasons only to fully announce themselves in this year’s group stage by knocking out much higher profile opposition. Continue reading

Foreign Talent Driving Ukrainian Resurgence

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The False Nine’s David Dodds takes a look at the burgeoning amount of foreign talent in the Ukrainian Premier League…

In recent years, Ukrainian teams have been able to entice some real quality from abroad. No one has benefited from foreign players more than Shakhtar Donetsk, who last season won the league for the third year in a row. Shakhtar were nowhere near as prominent in the old Soviet system as arch-rivals Dynamo Kiev, and spent much of the first decade in the new Ukrainian league playing second-fiddle to their auspicious rivals. Continue reading