On Thursday night, two underdog teams that no one expected to be in the Champions League will play each other!

The first team is Royal Antwerp from Belgium. In their first ever Champions League game, they had to play the mighty Barcelona. Even though they lost, they tried their very best against the football giants. Way to go, little guys!

The second team is Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine. In their first game, they hosted the tricky team Porto from Portugal. The crowd went crazy when little Shakhtar actually scored first against Porto! But in the end, the more experienced Porto won. Nice try though, Shakhtar!

Now, both these surprise teams want to get their first ever Champions League points. When two underdogs play, anything can happen! There could be lots of goals and drama.

With both these surprise teams aiming for their first ever Champions League points, we should be in for a fun open game!

When the minnows of Antwerp and Shakhtar meet, anything could happen. Hopefully they can provide plenty of goals and drama!

Royal Antwerp vs Shakhtar Donetsk

The match will take place on Thursday, 4th October, 2023, at Bosuilstadion

Huge Challenge for Champions League Newcomers

In their very first ever game in the Champions League, Antwerp faced one of the biggest clubs around in Barcelona. Traveling to Spain to play all of Barca's global superstars at their famous Camp Nou stadium was an incredibly daunting task for the Belgian champs. But Antwerp promised they would represent their country with pride no matter who the opponent was.

True Progress Will Be Revealed

While winning their league was an amazing achievement, Antwerp's real test would come up against elite teams in Europe. Playing so many high pressure games in a short time against top class opposition would show if Antwerp had genuinely moved to the next level as a club. 

But this tight knit group of players were determined not just to make up the numbers in the Champions League. Any good results they could manage would give them more and more confidence at this higher standard.

Slick Barca Attack Overpowers Defense

Manager Van Bommel knew Antwerp's biggest challenge would be containing Barcelona's world class forwards. He organized the team to stay very compact and deny Barca space to run in behind. 

But Barcelona's speed of passing and incredible movement was just too much for Antwerp's inexperienced defense. They were constantly pulled out of position and cut apart by Barca's razor sharp attacking combinations.

Midfield Overwhelmed by Red Waves

Antwerp desperately needed their captain Haroun to control the midfield and disrupt Barcelona's rhythm. But the veteran was overrun by overwhelming waves of Barca's superstar midfielders flooding forward.

 Antwerp were totally outplayed and overpowered in the engine room. This allowed Barcelona's phenomenal attackers the time and space to play freely.

Promising Signs Amid The Defeat

This thrashing was a harsh lesson in the elite ruthlessness Antwerp now faces. But their courageous attacking approach and amazing spirit despite the scoreline showed the club's immense potential. 

If Antwerp can add more top level quality and experience, performances like this provide a foundation to eventually succeed in Europe. This baptism of fire will only aid Antwerp's quest to one day pull off a famous result on the biggest stage.

Shakhtar Fall Short Against Superior FC Porto

Given the gap in budgets and global status, few expected Ukrainian underdogs Shakhtar to challenge esteemed Portuguese giants FC Porto. But the plucky hosts came flying out of the traps in front of their passionate home support.

Promising Start From Minnows

Shakhtar passed the ball around neatly in the early stages, building confidence and momentum. Their positive start was rewarded with a goal from promising talent Kryskiv to send the crowd into raptures.

Portuguese Powerhouse Hit Back

But Shakhtar's dream start quickly turned into a nightmare. Porto's pedigree shone through as they ruthlessly hit back with three rapid goals before halftime.

Galeno struck twice with excellent finishes, while Iranian striker Taremi added a third goal through a clever header. Porto's clinical edge left Shakhtar staring at a daunting deficit.

Gulf in Quality Tells

Try as they might to get back into the game after halftime, Shakhtar were outclassed by Porto's supreme technical quality and tactical discipline.

The Ukrainian side's defense simply had no answers for Porto's incisive passing moves and crosses into the box. Shakhtar's effort couldn't make up for the gap in class.

Hefty Defeat Part of Learning Curve

This harsh lesson demonstrated the step up in level the Champions League represents. But Shakhtar's courageous effort despite the scoreline shows their potential.

Competing against Europe's best young talents will only aid Shakhtar's development. This experience can inspire Ukraine's brave club in future continental adventures.

Style of Play

Shakhtar's game plan revolves around soaking up pressure before launching rapid counters at breakneck speed. They allow opponents plenty of possession before looking to win the ball back and break with pace and precision. 

Shakhtar's attackers are given freedom to run at defenses once possession is won. This quick passing style is tailor-made to unlock defenses on the break. Shakhtar rely on tiring opponents out before hitting them decisively on the transition. 

The team is extremely fit, organized, and drilled to execute their coach's counter attacking strategy. When it clicks, Shakhtar's breakneck attacks are absolutely devastating.

Predicted Lineups

Shakhtar Donetsk: Dmytro Riznyk, Yukhym Konoplya, Eduard Kozik, Yaroslav Rakitskiy, Irakli Azarovi, Taras Stepanenko, Oleksandr Zubkov, Georgiy Sudakov, Dmytro Kryskiv, Oleksiy Kashchuk, Danylo Sikan

Antwerp: Muja, Janssen, Balikwisha, Keita, Ekkelenkamp, Vermeeren, Vines, Alderweireld, Coulibaly, De Laet

Key Battles

With both teams entering this contest seeking their first Champions League points, we should be in for an open and entertaining affair! Antwerp will look to their lively forward Balikwisha to unlock Shakhtar's defense. While Shakhtar have talented young winger Kryskiv who bagged their goal against Porto.

In midfield, Shakhtar's neat technician Sudakov will try to control the game against Antwerp's powerhouse captain Faris Haroun. Winning the central battle could prove vital.

Conclusion

The team that defends better will likely take the three points here. Neither attack has the individual brilliance to slice through organized defenses. Set pieces may also provide the best opportunities in a tight contest.

Whatever happens, seeing relative minnows Antwerp and Shakhtar compete on this stage is what makes the Champions League so special! Both will be dreaming of springing a major surprise.