Read our prediction for Shakhtar Donetsk vs Benfica below. This preview was written by a sport journalist who is specialised in betting tips and predictions. Use our betting tips for the match between Shakhtar Donetsk vs Benfica and you can increase your winnings!
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Benfica Prediction & Betting tips
At the Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv, Shakhtar Donetsk takes on Benfica in the sixteenth finals of the Europa League. It promises to be an exciting two-way battle, especially since the situation is not ideal for both teams. The Ukrainians miss a match rhythm, while the Portuguese are embroiled in a fierce title battle in their own country.
Shakhtar Donetsk:
Of course, Shakthar Donetsk no longer has any big secrets for seasoned football fans. The working method of the Ukrainians is as simple as it is ingenious: you buy a mountain of Brazilian talents, and then sell them again with substantial profit. The current selection counts no less than eleven (!) Brazilians, and I don’t even count the attackers Marlos and Junior Moraes naturalized as Ukrainians. As if that wasn’t enough, there is also a Portuguese trainer at the helm with Luis Castro, so I have such a dark brown suspicion that there is little Ukrainian speaking in the dressing room of De Mijnwerkers.
Shakhtar Donetsk almost has a subscription to the national title in his own country, but the real challenge is of course beyond the national borders. In the group stage of the Champions League, the Ukrainians had to recognize their superior in Manchester City and Atalanta, but in the Europa League they are a dangerous outsider for tournament win. However, it is difficult to estimate where Shakhtar Donetsk currently stands, because the Ukrainian winter break means that the team has not played a competitive game for more than two months. The national competition will only resume next month, when the diptych against Benfica is already over. The Ukrainians have been engaged in friendly duels in the past period, but that is of course not the same as playing matches where there is really something at stake.
Benfica:
Benfica is of course also a club with a great European reputation, although European wintering hung on a thread earlier this season. In group G of the Champions League, the Lisbon club number four managed to keep Zenit St Petersburg behind on goal difference. Benfica has also had a difficult time in his own country in recent weeks. As Aguias are still in the lead in the Primeira Liga, but after two consecutive defeats against FC Porto (3-2) and Sporting Braga (0-1) the lead has shrunk to a meager point. Trainer Bruno Lage feels the pressure on his position increasing, although chairman Luis Filipe Vieira is not worried: “We did not walk in the polonaise when things went well, and we will not get caught up now that things are going a bit less.”
So Benfica is yearning for a good result, but due to the exciting Portuguese title fight, Lago has two ideas. For example, it is quite possible that he will save one or more players on Thursday evening for the important competition match this coming weekend against Gil Vicente. The main candidate for a snippet evening is vice-captain Andre Almeida, since he is only recently fully fit again. Gabriel Pires and Jardel are injured and Julian Weigl is suspended, so they will not take action anyway.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Benfica head to head matches
13.07.09 CF Benfica Shakhtar Donetsk 2 : 0
04.12.07 CL Shakhtar Donetsk Benfica 1 : 2
03.10.07 CL Benfica Shakhtar Donetsk 0 : 1