FC Shakhtar Donetsk will hope for a repeat performance after being paired with FC Schalke 04 for a second time in the UEFA Europa League round of 32.
Previous meetings
• Mircea Lucescu’s Shakhtar eliminated a Schalke side coached by Ralf Rangnick in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup round of 32, winning 1-0 in Gelsenkirchen after drawing 1-1 in Donetsk. Those are Schalke’s only encounters with Ukrainian opponents.
• Shakhtar’s 16 games against German teams have ended W5 D5 L6 (W2 D4 L1 at home – W2 D1 L5 in Germany). Most famously, they beat Werder Bremen 2-1 in the final of the 2009 UEFA Cup in Istanbul.
• Shakhtar’s last four home matches against German…