It is a straight shootout for a place in the Champions League round of 16 as FC Porto host Shakhtar Donetsk in their final Group H fixture. Porto were comfortable winners in the first meeting and given their recent record at the Estadio do Dragao, they will be confident of completing the double over the Ukrainians.
It has been a decent Champions League group stage campaign for FC Porto, who have picked up three from five matches. Although they are level on nine points with Shakhtar Donetsk, their progress is within their control as all that is required is to avoid defeat on Wednesday.
Porto were beaten 2-1 at Barcelona in their previous Champions League fixture despite taking the lead through Pepe Aquino. Sergio Conceicao’s men will head into Wednesday’s clash off the back of a 3-0 victory over Casa Pia in a domestic clash last weekend.
The victory over Casa Pia extends a solid home record for FC Porto, who often do their best work in front of their fans. They have won four of their last five matches at the Estadio do Dragao, claiming a 2-0 victory over Antwerp in their previous Champions League fixture in front of their fans.
Shakhtar Donetsk have also claimed three wins from five Group H matches, including a 1-0 victory over Antwerp in their previous fixture. Sitting level on points with Porto, their path to the round of 16 is straightforward as a win on Wednesday will see them progress.
The Ukrainians have been in good form in recent weeks and will head into Wednesday’s clash with plenty of confidence. They have won their last three matches across all competitions and claimed a 2-0 victory over Veres Rivne in a domestic fixture last weekend.
While things are seemingly good for Shakhtar Donetsk lately, their away form has been slightly erratic. Marino Pusic’s men have picked up two wins and suffered two defeats in their last four away matches, losing 3-1 to Rukh Vynnyky in their previous fixture on the road.
How the bookies view it
The bookies have installed FC Porto as overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a home win priced at 4/9 by William Hill. A victory for Shakhtar Donetsk is valued at 6/1 by Paddy Power while bet365 is offering odds of 15/4 for a draw.
Head to head
FC Porto have never lost to Shakhtar Donetsk, claiming three wins and two draws from five previous meetings. The Portuguese giants picked up a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in September.
Players to watch
Evanilson has caught the eye for FC Porto in recent times, with eight goals in the last 10 matches across all competitions. The forward has also found the net four times in the last three Champions League fixtures and is priced at 5/4 with bet365.
Danylo Sikan has been one of the most dangerous attackers for Shakhtar Donetsk this season and will be the one to watch on Wednesday. The forward has two goals in his last four Champions League matches and is priced at 7/2 by Paddy Power to get on the score sheet.
Anything else catch the eye?
There were over 3.5 goals in the reverse fixture and a similar outcome is valued at 15/8 by Paddy Power. Over 2.5 goals could also be considered at 8/11 888Sport while bet365 is offering odds of 10/11 on both teams to score.
A straight victory for FC Porto is valued at minimal odds, so a win and over 2.5 goals could be considered at 23/20 by BoyleSports.
This UEFA Champions League match between FC Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk will be played on Dec 13, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best FC Porto vs Shakhtar Donetsk prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
