An injury-plagued Barcelona limp into a critical stretch of games as they host Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donestk in Spain on Wednesday in the Champions League group stage.
The Catalan club are without both young midfield stars Gavi and Pedri for this match, while forwards Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha are sidelined as well. While they managed to grind out a quality 1-0 victory over Athletic Club on the weekend, the gauntlet continues here – with El Clasico looming not far off in the distance on Saturday.
Shakhtar are positioned well in the Ukrainian league table, sitting third but with a game in hand – and they remain in the mix for a Champions League knockout place as well, with three points from their first two games.
A Barcelona win here would give them a perfect nine points from the first half of the group stage and set them up nicely for a Round of 16 spot. But a slip-up would create unneeded chaos over the next few days knowing the injuries could prove even more devastating ahead of the clash with Real Madrid.
MORE: Follow the game live!
Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk live stream, TV channel
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | TUDN, UniMas | Paramount+, Fubo, TUDN app/website, Univision NOW |
| UK | TNT Sports 1 | discovery+ |
| Australia | — | Stan Sport |
| Canada | — | DAZN |
| India | Sony TEN 2 | Sony LIV, JioTV |
| New Zealand | — | beIN Sports Connect |
| Malaysia | beIN Sports 3 | beIN Sports Connect, sooka |
| Singapore | beIN Sports 3 | beIN Sports Connect, StarHub TV+ |
| Hong Kong | beIN Sports 3 | beIN Sports Connect |
MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA | Watch EPL in Canada
What time does Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk kick off?
This Champions League group stage match at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys kicks off on Wednesday, October 25 at 6:45 p.m. local time in Barcelona, Spain.
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA/Canada | Wed, Oct. 25 | 12:45 p.m. ET |
| USA/Canada | Wed, Oct. 25 | 9:45 a.m. PT |
| UK | Wed, Oct. 25 | 5:45 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Thu, Oct. 26 | 2:45 a.m. AEST |
| India | Wed, Oct. 25 | 10:15 p.m. IST |
| Hong Kong | Thu, Oct. 26 | 12:45 a.m. HKT |
| Malaysia | Thu, Oct. 26 | 12:45 a.m. MYT |
| Singapore | Thu, Oct. 26 | 12:45 a.m. SGT |
| New Zealand | Thu, Oct. 26 | 4:45 a.m. NZST |
Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk lineups
Barcelona's injuries are at a season high coming into this match, with worries of a similar situation in three days for El Clasico. Pedri was out injured, as were Lewandowski, Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde and Sergi Roberto.
To make matters worse here, Gavi was suspended after he was sent off in the dying minutes of the previous victory over Porto.
All the injuries and suspensions have forced young academy products Lamine Yamal, Fermin Lopez, and Marc Guiu into action earlier than many expected. The three teenagers all got game time over the weekend in some capacity and are likely to do so again here, with the former two starting.
Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3): Ter Stegen (GK) – Joao Cancelo, Martinez, Ronald Araujo, Alonso – Lopez, Romeu, Gundogan – Felix, Ferran Torres, Yamal
Unlike today's opponent, Shakhtar Donetsk head coach Pusic had no injury concerns to worry about and can select his first-choice lineup.
Georgiy Sudakov is the latest young Shakhtar star destined for a top five European league. The 21-year-old has yet to score in the Champions League in his young career, but after hitting for five goals and eight assists last year in the league, the young Ukrainian has two goals through the first six Premier Liga matches of the season.
Shakhtar Donetsk starting lineup (4-1-4-1): Riznyk (GK) – Konoplia, Matviyenko, Bondar, Azarov – Stepanenko – Zubkov, Bondarenko, Sudakov, Kryskiv – Sikan
Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk betting odds & lines
In Canada, bet Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk in Champions League at Sports Interaction
| Barcelona win | Draw | Shakhtar win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 3.5 goals | BAR -1.5 | SHK +1.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | -500 | +575 | +1300 | +100 / -140 | +100 / -145 | -185 | +125 |
| Top Betting Sites (UK) | 2/9 | 6/1 | 12/1 | 93/100, 10/13 | 11/10, 8/11 | 8/13 | 13/10 |
| Unibet (Australia) | 1.22 | 6.75 | 13.00 | 1.94 / 1.83 | 2.10 / 1.73 | 1.53 | 2.28 |
| Dafabet (India) | 1.23 | 7.20 | 13.00 | 2.00 / 1.82 | 2.12 / 1.76 | — | — |
