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PSV v Shakhtar Champions League Prediction

Will PSV kick off their UEFA Champions League campaign with three points? Or will they be caught off guard by Shakhtar? Oranje Palace looks ahead to PSV v Shakhtar.

by Oranje Palace08 September 20265 min read

PSV has been the undisputed best club in the Netherlands in recent years. Yet they have struggled to make their mark in the Champions League. And that is precisely what the Eindhoven side are determined to change this year. They kick off with a home match against Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine. Can Peter Bosz’s Dutch squad build on their victory over Ajax? We’ll tell you more about this match and treat you to our PSV v Shakhtar prediction.

Betting at Oranje Palace

Are you new to Oranje Palace? If so, you can immediately take advantage of a welcome bonus of 3 x €14 Free Bets. You’ll receive one Pre-match Free Bet, one Live Free Bet and one Bet Builder Free Bet. This will allow you to explore our betting range in a variety of ways.

The Champions League kicks off again this week, with PSV v Shakhtar among the fixtures. Use your Pre-match Free Bet before kick-off, place your Live Free Bet during the match, or combine multiple predictions in a Bet Builder. That’ll add a bit of extra excitement to PSV’s European night straight away!

PSV v Shakhtar preview

Of course, PSV are the favourites to win this match at the Philips Stadium. But don’t underestimate the team from Donetsk, especially not because of the few Brazilians who, as ever, are keeping the team playing with flair. Here’s a brief look at both teams.

Current Form & Team News

PSV

Despite PSV’s very impressive 3-1 away win at Ajax, there was still plenty of talk surrounding Ruben van Bommel’s actions. PSV’s exceptionally talented left winger played a brilliant match, but found himself in the spotlight for a different reason. He was, in fact, involved in a very nasty collision with Aaron Bouwman, who had to leave the pitch visibly shaken. Can the much-talked-about son of former player Mark van Bommel pull himself together and put in a good performance in the Champions League? It’s clear that, with his qualities, he should be able to make the difference.

Shakhtar

For many, Shakhtar is still a team where you never quite know what to expect. As is the case every season, they have a number of Brazilian players in their ranks, some of whom flop whilst others soon make a name for themselves amongst Europe’s elite. This season, it is Alisson, Kaua Elias and Luca Meirelles who are standing out. The forwards have played thirteen matches together, in which they have already scored seven goals. Will they manage the same in the City of Lights? In any case, the dress rehearsal went well, as they won 2–1 away at Karpaty Lviv last weekend.

Head-to-Head

PSV and Shakhtar have played one official match against each other in the past. This was during the 2024–2025 Champions League season. It ended in a 3–2 victory for PSV, a win that was certainly hard-fought. Malick Tillman was particularly impressive, although Ricardo Pepi stole the show with his winning goal in the 95th minute.

Expected line-ups

PSV (4-3-3):

Kovar, Mauro Jr, Obispo, Geertruida, Dest, Sano, Fernandes, van Bommel, Til, Perisic, Pepi

Shakhtar (4-3-3):

Riznyk, Pedro Henrique, Matvienko, Bondar, Karavaev, Marlon Gomes, Nazarnya, Ocheretko, Newerton, Luca Meirelles, Alisson

PSV v Shakhtar betting tips

Betting tip 1: Over 3.5 goals

We’re expecting a very entertaining match, one reminiscent of their only previous encounter. PSV have been scoring freely in recent weeks, but have struggled to keep a clean sheet. For that reason, we expect at least four goals at PSV’s stadium. Betting on over 3.5 goals will earn you odds of 2.15.

Betting tip 2: Ruben van Bommel to score or provide an assist

Despite the fact that he didn’t exactly make the headlines for the right reasons last week, Ruben van Bommel is currently in excellent form. He provided another assist against Ajax, whilst not long before that he also played a key role in goals against FC Groningen and FC Utrecht. We reckon he’ll pull off the same feat in the Champions League. Ruben van Bommel to score or provide an assist will earn you odds of 2.10.

PSV v Shakhtar Prediction

Final score: PSV 3–1 Shakhtar
As mentioned, we expect a high-scoring match. However, we do think – and hope – that PSV will come out on top. Will PSV keep a clean sheet? We don’t expect so, which is why a 3–1 win for PSV is likely to be the correct result.

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