Shakhtar Donetsk will be aiming to boost their chances or reaching the round of 16 as they host Antwerp in their penultimate UEFA Champions League Group H fixture. The Ukrainians were victorious in the first meeting and will be confident of doing the double over Antwerp, who are still winless in the competition.
Shakhtar Donetsk are coming off a 1-0 victory over Barcelona in their previous Champions League fixture. Danylo Sikan struck the only goal five minutes before the break and they were able to fend off the Catalans and hold out for the win.
That was a pivotal result for Shakhtar Donetsk as it leaves them in contention to progress from Group H. They are currently three points off the pace and with FC Porto going to Barcelona on Tuesday, a win could put them level with the Portuguese giants ahead of a potential showdown on match-day six.
Shakhtar Donetsk will head into Tuesday’s clash with confidence as they are unbeaten in five of their last eight home matches across all competitions. Marino Pusic’s men have picked up four wins in that run but were held to a 0-0 draw by Polissya in a domestic fixture last Saturday.
It has been a disappointing debut in European competition for Antwerp, who have struggled to cope with the quality in the Champions League. They were beaten 2-0 by Porto in their previous fixture ad have now lost all four matches in Group H.
Beyond their struggles in the Champions League, Antwerp have actually been decent in recent weeks as they are unbeaten in four of their last five matches across all competitions. They have claimed three wins in that run but were held to a 1-1 draw by Sint-Truiden in a domestic fixture last weekend.
One thing that has remained consistent for Antwerp domestically and in Europe is their dodgy record on the road. Mark Van Bommel’s men have picked up just one win from their last seven away matches across all competitions, suffering four defeats in that run.
How the bookies view it
Shakhtar Donetsk have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 19/20 by Paddy Power to claim the win. A victory for Antwerp is valued at 3/1 by Coral while BetVictor is offering odds of 5/2 for a draw.
Head to head
Shakhtar Donetsk claimed a 3-2 victory over Antwerp in the reverse fixture back in October. The Ukrainians fought back from two goals down to earn the win, with Danylo Sikan netting a brace.
Players to watch
Danylo Sikan will be the one to watch for Shakhtar Donetsk having scored three goals in his last three Champions League appearances. Having grabbed a brace in the reverse fixture with Antwerp, the forward could be tipped to find the net in Tuesday at 2/1 by bet365.
Vincent Janssen often leads the line for Antwerp and has found the net three times in the last four matches across all competitions. The striker could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime on Tuesday at 19/5 with Unibet.
Anything else catch the eye?
There were over 3.5 goals in the reverse fixture and a similar outcome could be on the cards at 21/10 by BetVictor. Over 2.5 goals is valued at 42/50 by Unibet while William Hill is offering odds of 7/10 on both teams to score.
Shakhtar Donetsk are likely to be dominant on Tuesday and could be backed to score in both halves at 19/10 with BoyleSports.
This UEFA Champions League match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Antwerp will be played on Nov 28, 2023 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best Shakhtar Donetsk vs Antwerp prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
