Feyenoord host Shakhtar Donetsk in the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 with the tie still in the balance. The first meeting showed both teams’ impressive form in recent weeks but Feyenoord will be banking on their superb home record and should have the upper hand here.
Feyenoord fought back from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw in the first leg with Ezequiel Ballaude getting their goal. They were the better side in the contest and could have won by more but in the end had to settle for a share of the spoils.
While a win would have been better, the performance highlights Feyenoord’s impressive form in recent weeks. The Eredivisie leaders are unbeaten in their last 16 matches across all competitions and have claimed six wins in their last seven outings in that run, including a 2-1 victory over Volendam in a domestic fixture last Sunday.
De Kuip has been a fortress for Feyenoord all season as they are unbeaten in front of their fans across all competitions. Arne Slot’s men have won two of their last three home matches in the Europa League with a 6-0 victory over Strum Graz among their results in that run.
Despite taking the lead in the first meeting with Feyenoord, Shakhtar Donetsk will consider themselves lucky to have earned that draw. Igor Jovicevic’s men were on the back foot for much of the encounter and scored with their only attempt on target.
While the performance could have been better, the result means Shakhtar are now unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions. They travel to the Netherlands off the back 3-0 victory over Kryvbas KR in a Ukrainian Premier League fixture last weekend.
A slight problem for Shakhtar Donetsk is that they have been slightly erratic on their recent travels in Europe. They claimed just one win during the group stage of the Champions League and also suffered a 2-1 defeat at Rennes in the Europa League knockout playoffs.
How the bookies view it
Feyenoord are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a home priced at 11/21 with SBK. A victory for Shakhtar Donetsk is valued at 6/1 with Coral while a draw is set at odds of 16/5 by bet365.
Head to head
There had been only two previous meetings between Feyenoord and Shakhtar Donetsk prior to last week’s first leg. The Ukrainians did the double over their rivals during the group stage of the 2017-18 Champions League, claiming a 2-1 victory at De Kuip.
Players to watch
Santiago Gimenez has impressed for Feyenoord in recent weeks and could be the one to watch on Thursday. The attacker has six goals in his last nine matches across all competitions and is priced at 13/10 by bet365 to maintain his scoring run.
Danylo Sikan had a quiet outing in the first leg but remains the leading scorer for Shakhtar Donetsk this season. The forward could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime at 7/2 with Betfred.
Anything else catch the eye?
There have been goals for both teams in their last three meetings and a similar outcome is priced at 10/11 with bet365. Feyenoord have seen over 2.5 goals in four of their last five home matches and a repeat is priced at 13/16 with SBK while over 3.5 goals is valued at 85/40 by BetVictor.
With Feyenoord are priced at minimal odds for a straight victory, a win and over 2.5 goals can be considered at 27/20 by 10bet for more value.
This UEFA Europa League match between Feyenoord and Shakhtar Donetsk will be played on Mar 16, 2023 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best Feyenoord vs Shakhtar Donetsk prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
