Gareth Bale & Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid were thrashed 4-0 by Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on 21 November Reuters

Real Madrid will look to bounce back from their Clasico thumping by clinching the top spot in Group A with a victory against Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 7.45pm GMT. The game will be broadcast live on BT Sport Extra.

Overview

Shakhtar Donetsk secured their first win of this season's Champions League against Malmo on match day four and realistically need a second successive victory to qualify for the knockout stages. That is easier said than done as Real Madrid will be desperate to bounce back from their shattering defeat against Barcelona on 21 November.

Shakhtar defenders Darijo Srna and Oleksandr Kucher are suspended for the visit of the Spanish giants, while midfielder Maksym Malyshev has a knee problem and is doubtful to feature.

Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez was given a public vote of confidence after his side crashed to a humiliating 4-0 defeat at home against bitter rivals Barcelona. The former Liverpool boss desperately needs a win in Ukraine to ease the pressure on himself and his players.

Sergio Ramos (shoulder) and Marcelo (thigh) are both injured and have been left out of the squad travelling to Lviv.

What managers say

Mircea Lucescu: "I think Malmo should be glad to concede only four goals. We had more than 20 attempts and could have scored many more. We have shown that football based on combinations and skills – as opposed to Malmo's long balls – can be effective. The only disappointment is that two important players, Srna and Kucher, received yellow cards and will miss the game against Madrid."

Rafael Benitez: "We've made mistakes and against a team like Barca you pay for those dearly. We wanted to attack and win back the ball high up the field but it didn't come off. We're all responsible for it not going well, now we look for unity in the group and to try and sort this out in the next game."

Form guide

  • Shakhtar Donetsk (all competitions): W W W W W
  • Last result: Shakhtar Donetsk 4-0 Volyn
  • Real Madrid (all competitions): L L W W W
  • Last result: Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona

Betting odds (888sport)

  • Shakhtar Donetsk win: 56/19
  • Draw: 37/13
  • Real Madrid win: 9/10

Team news

Shakhtar Donetsk possible XI: Pyatov; Shevchuk, Ordets, Rakitskiy, Azevedo; Fred, Stepanenko; Marlos, Teixeira, Taison; Gladkiy.

Real Madrid possible XI: Navas; Danilo, Pepe, Varane, Nacho; Modric, Casemiro; Bale, Rodriguez, Ronaldo; Benzema.

Real Madrid Champions League