• Aberdeen bottom of Scottish Premiership and failed to score in their first six matches

• Shakhtar Donetsk lost on penalties to Panathinaikos in Europa League qualifying

• Recommended bet: Shakhtar Donetsk to win to nil

Aberdeen ended last season on a high, beating Celtic on penalties to lift the Scottish Cup, but they have made a miserable start to the new campaign.

Six games into the Scottish Premiership season, Jimmy Thelin's side are yet to score a goal and the Dons are big underdogs to beat Shakhtar Donetsk in their opening Conference League league phase fixture.

Shakhtar thumped Besiktas 6-2 on aggregate in Europa League qualifying before losing on penalties to Panathinaikos and they are two points clear of champions Dynamo Kyiv at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League.

The latest Aberdeen vs Shakhtar Donetsk odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Team news

Kevin Nisbet and Marko Lazetic are competing for a start up front in the Dons' misfiring attacking unit.

Defender Kristers Tobers has been included in the Conference League squad despite not playing a competitive match this season due to injury.

Shakhtar will be without big-money signing Alisson Santana, who has suffered a broken leg, but his fellow Brazilians Isaque, Kaua Elias and Pedrinho should all start at Pittodrie.

The stats

Aberdeen have failed to score in six Scottish Premiership matches this season, losing five of them, four of which were by 2-0 scorelines.

Both teams have scored in only one of Aberdeen's 10 games in all competitions this season.

Shakhtar have won four of their last five matches and have kept a clean sheet in each of their last seven wins in all competitions.

The Ukrainians conceded only one goal from open play in six Europa League qualifying matches.

The latest Aberdeen vs Shakhtar Donetsk odds are available on LiveScore Bet

Prediction

Shakhtar are top of their domestic division, while Aberdeen are rock-bottom of the Scottish Premiership, so there is a gulf in confidence between the two clubs.

Shakhtar have been regulars in the Champions League over the past 15 years, beating Barcelona in the 2023-24 group stage and claiming league phase wins over Young Boys and Brest last season.

Their squad includes a host of talented Brazilians, as well as vastly experienced Ukraine internationals Mykola Matviyenko and Artem Bondarenko.

Coached by former Atletico Madrid, Barca and Turkey winger Arda Turan, Shakhtar look worthy favourites to deepen the gloom at Pittodrie on Thursday.

It may be worth taking bigger odds about the visitors winning to nil given that they kept five clean sheets in six Europa League qualifying ties.

Aberdeen lost 3-0 away to FCSB in the second leg of their Europa League qualifier and were beaten 1-0 by Motherwell in the League Cup in their most recent home game.

That reverse was followed by 2-0 away defeats to Dundee United and Well in the league and it is hard to see the Dons upsetting a powerful Shakhtar side.

Back Shakhtar Donetsk to win to nil available at 33/20 with LiveScore Bet