Real Madrid vs Shakhtar Donetsk
UEFA Champions League, KO: 20:00 Oct 11, 2022, Stadion Wojska Polskiego, Warsaw
REAL MADRID will travel to Poland aiming to secure qualification and maintain their perfect record in the Champions League when they face Shakhtar Donetsk.
Carlo Ancelotti's men were given a game by the nomadic Ukrainian champions last week at the Bernabeu and only won 2-1. Shakhtar have punched well above their weight this season given their well-publicised problems.
They play under the threat of air raids and their previous match before they played in Spain was interrupted by sirens which saw their players having to race to shelters to take cover during the game…not exactly the usual preparation for a Champions League tie!
Shakhtar were granted the weekend off by their football authorities to prepare for this tie against the European champions in Warsaw which will be played in front of a sell-out crowd.
Real Madrid won their lesser city derby against Getafe, but only by a narrow margin of 1-0 and it's fair to say they are not quite firing on all cylinders recently, despite an unbeaten start.
It may seem harsh to say that after 11 wins from 12 and the other drawn, but they aren't quite in top form. However, with this team, they are capable of reaching those heights in any given game.
How the bookies view it
Real Madrid are clear favourites unsurprisingly and the 2/5 on offer from UniBet is the best price on offer.
Shakhtar Donetsk can be backed at 7/1 with William Hill and the draw is 9/2 with bet365.
Recent head to heads
Real Madrid won that first game last week 2-1 in Spain as stated. Previously they have met on six occasions with Real winning four and Shakhtar emerging victorious twice.
Players to watch
Oleksandr Zubkov scored in the Bernabeu last week and also netted the previous game against Metallist. He is 6/1 to net in Poland with bet365.
With Real set to rotate their squad, former Chelsea hero Eden Hazard may get another chance to shine. The Belgium star, who scored against Celtic in the Champions League, is 15/8 to score with bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
Real should again be too strong for Shakhtar, but it's unlikely to be a massacre.
Shakhtar have defied the odds on plenty of times and they will have a go in front of a partisan and sympathetic audience. It may pay to back the Champions League winners to edge this by a goal as they did last week at an attractive 3/1 with bet365.
They have already beaten RB Leipzig comfortably and frustrated Celtic. They look decent value to win this with a two-goal start on the handicaps at 5/6 with Coral too.
This UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk will be played on Oct 11, 2022 and kick off at 20:00. 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.
