Real Madrid vs Shakhtar Donetsk
UEFA Champions League, KO: 17:45 Nov 3, 2021, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
Real Madrid finally got some revenge for recent defeats to Shakhtar Donetsk and will be looking to do the double when they host the Ukrainians on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League. The hosts are slowly coming into their best form and should once again have too much quality for their rivals.
Following a mini slump which saw them suffer a surprise home defeat to Champions League debutants Sheriff Tiraspol, Los Blancos appear to be slowly returning to their best form. They are unbeaten in their last four matches across all competitions, claiming three wins in that run.
Real Madrid head into Wednesday’s clash off the back of a 2-1 La Liga win over Elche with Vinicius Junior netting a brace. They will be targeting a similar performance to the one that saw them pick up a 5-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the reverse fixture.
The victory in the reverse fixture highlights showed how ruthless Real Madrid can be in attack with Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior particularly impressive lately. Carlo Ancelotti’s men have also looked fairly solid at the back and have kept two clean sheets in their last three Champions League matches.
Shakhtar Donetsk have bounced back from that humiliating defeat to Real Madrid with a string of solid performances in Ukraine. They have won their last three domestic matches, including a 4-1 Premier League victory over Desna on Saturday.
While Shakhtar continue to impress in Ukraine, their major problem has always been transmitting their domestic form into the continent. Roberto De Zerbi’s men are winless after three matches in the Champions League and remain bottom of Group D.
Shakhtar have also struggled to find their rhythm in attack in the Champions League and are yet to find the net in all three of their matches this season.
How the bookies view it
Real Madrid are considered overwhelming favourites by the bookies and are priced at 13/50 by novibet to win. A victory for Shakhtar Donetsk is valued at 14/1 by SBK while a draw is set at odds of 29/2 by BetVictor.
Head to head
Real Madrid have a 3-2 advantage from five previous matches against Shakhtar Donetsk. The Spaniards claimed a 5-0 victory in the reverse fixture a fortnight ago with Vinicius Junior netting a brace while Karim Benzema was also on target.
Players to watch
Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema have carried Real Madrid’s attacking threat this season and both men were on target in the reverse fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk. Both men can combine to ensure the Spaniards produce over 1.5 goals at 1/3 with bet365.
Real Madrid have also looked solid at the back in the Champions League with David Alaba and Eder Militao forming a solid central defensive partnership. They have kept two clean sheets in three Champions League matches and with Shakhtar Donetsk struggling in attack, a repeat could be on the cards at 5/6 with Paddy Power.
Anything else catch the eye?
Given the 5-0 victory in the reverse fixture, Real Madrid can be backed in the -2 handicap market at 15/8 with Paddy Power. Their fine defensive record means a win to nil could also be on the cards at evens with betfair.
Real Madrid won in both halves in Ukraine and could be set for a repeat at 8/5 with 10bet.
This UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk will be played on Nov 3, 2021 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best Real Madrid vs Shakhtar Donetsk prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
