Real Madrid started the Champions League group stage perfectly with a 1-0 away win over Inter, yet the shock home defeat to Sheriff Tiraspol last time out means that a positive result at Shakhtar Donetsk is paramount.
Los Blancos know all about their Ukrainian opponents, having met with them in last year's group stage and suffered defeat both home and away. Carlo Ancelotti's men are therefore well aware that they cannot take Shakhtar lightly, and the recent loss to Sheriff was further reminder that nothing is a given in this competition.
In terms of team news, Eden Hazard is back in training but is not able to travel with the team, while Gareth Bale, Dani Carvajal, Dani Ceballos and Isco are still far from being available. That means that they will be dependent on Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior to carry them through at a tough ground.
Shakhtar are looking for their third straight win over Real Madrid, although they will have to attempt that without long-term absentees Lassina Traore and Junior Moraes.
Real Madrid are second in the group with three points, with Sheriff above them on six. Shakhtar, meanwhile, are yet to win, with just one draw from their opening two games leaving them joint bottom with Inter.
Shakhtar vs Real Madrid predicted line-ups
Shakhtar's predicted line-up: Andriy Pyatov, Serhiy Kryvtsov, Vitao, Marlon, Mykola Matviyenko, Maycon, Alan Patrick, Dodo, Tete, Manor Solomon, Pedrinho
Real Madrid's predicted line-up: Thibaut Courtois, Lucas Vazquez, Eder Militao, Nacho Fernadez, David Alaba, Casemiro, Luka Modric, Federico Valverde, Toni Kroos, Vinicius, Karim Benzema
Shakhtar vs Real Madrid: When does it start?
The game takes place on Tuesday night and, as with most Champions League group stage matches, it kicks off at 21:00 CEST. For those living in the USA you can tune in at 15:00ET/12:00PT, and for those living in the UK, you can watch the match at 20:00 BST.
Shakhtar vs Real Madrid: Where to watch it?
The Champions League clash between Shakhtar and Real Madrid will take place at the Stadion NSK Olimpiyskiy in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Tuesday, October 19. For those living in the USA, you can watch the game live on Paramount+ and TUDN and for those living in the UK, the match will be broadcast live on BT Sport.