Shakhtar Donetsk – Real Madrid : Preview & Prediction
Due to the postponement of their match against Lviv in the Ukrainian Premier League, Shakhtar Donetsk have not played since losing 2-1 to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu last week, a result that has compromised their chances of advancing out of UEFA Champions League (UCL) Group F. Four points out of a possible nine for Shakhtar, who suffered their first defeat in an official match since November 2021 against the reigning champions of the competition.
Shakhtar have been forced to play their home matches in Warsaw due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and in the Polish capital they will host the mighty white team, the only club they have lost to while playing at home in a UCL match since November 2020 (G2, E4, P1). That match took place last October in Kiev and ended in a 5-0 win for Madrid.
After seven games of conceding at least one goal, Real Madrid kept a clean sheet for the first time in LaLiga Santander 2022-23 (G7, E1) last weekend, winning 1-0 at Getafe. “The clean sheet is very important. Last year’s success was due to a very good defensive display,” said Real coach Carlo Ancelotti after the match, under whose guidance Real Madrid could confirm their passage to the round of 16 as group winners on Tuesday. As a curiosity of their 2-1 win over Shakhtar on Matchday 3 of the UCL, that match was Madrid’s first in the competition since April 2021 to go go goalless in the second 45 minutes.
Los Blancos won’t mind another goalless second half if they can get to halftime with a big lead, and they won’t be confident against a Shakhtar side that beat them twice in the 2020-21 UCL. In the 2015-16 UCL group stage, Madrid drew 3-3 with Legia Warsaw at the Wojska Polskiego, the same venue as Tuesday’s clash, so Ancelotti will be looking to get his players focused on taking another step towards defending the continental title before facing the Clasico (October 16).
Players to watch: Oleksandr Zubkov has scored between the 30th and 40th minutes in each of his last two games for Shakhtar. Luka Modrić, who did not come off the bench against Shakhtar last week, assisted Militao in the winning goal against Getafe in LaLiga Santander matchday 8.
Key stat: Madrid have scored an average of three goals per game in their last eight duels with Ukrainian clubs (G5, E1, P2).
Shakhtar Donetsk – Real Madrid : Betting Tips
OVER 2.5 GOALS Odds: 2.25
