Shakhtar Donetsk face Atalanta in a Champions League clash on Wednesday with both teams seeking their first win in the competition. The Italians will take confidence from their performance against Arsenal and with Shakhtar not playing their home games in Ukraine, will be confident of claiming the upper hand.
Shakhtar Donetsk were held to a 0-0 draw by Bologna in their opening fixture in the Champions League. They were second best for much of the encounter and could only muster an attempt on target, which was a penalty saved by goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski.
Things have not been particularly smooth for Shakhtar Donetsk so far as they are struggling to find their rhythm. Marino Pusic’s men have picked up two wins and two draws from their last four matches and were held 1-1 by Veres Rivne in a domestic fixture last weekend.
Atalanta also played out a 0-0 draw in their opening fixture as they held out against Premier League side Arsenal. There were a few flashes of attacking quality, with Mateo Retegui even missing a second half penalty.
The reigning Europa League champions have not been at their best lately, picking up just two wins from eight matches across all competitions. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men head into Wednesday’s clash off the back of a 1-1 draw with Bologna last weekend.
How the bookies view it: Atalanta highly fancied
Atalanta have been installed as overwhelming favourites among the bookies and priced at 3/5 by Betfred. Shakhtar Donetsk are considered outsiders with a home win valued at 18/5 while Betfred is also offering odds of 11/4 for a draw.
Head to head: One win each
Both teams met during the group stage of the 2019-20 Champions League with Shakhtar Donetsk winning 2-1 in Italy while Atalanta claimed a 3-0 victory in Ukraine.
Players to watch: Lookman to step up
Ademola Lookman has proven to be a man for the big occasion and could be worth keeping an eye on for Atalanta. The Nigerian forward has two goals in the last four matches and is priced at 7/5 by Betfred to find the net.
Shakhtar Donetsk will look to Danylo Sikan to provide the spark in attack having found the net three times across all competitions. The striker is priced at 3/1 by Betfred to get in the score sheet on Wednesday.
Probable line-ups
Sikan has not played since suffering a broken nose in the opening game against Bologna but could make his return on Wednesday. The striker should feature alongside Lassina Traore in attack while Valerii Bondar is set to start in defence.
Retegui was rested in Atalanta’s draw with Bologna at the weekend and should return to the starting line-up on Wednesday. Lookman is expected to retain his place in the team while Ederson should start in midfield.
Shakhtar Donetsk: Riznyk, Konoplia, Matviienko, Bondar, Henrique, Bondarenko, Krysiv, Sudakov, Traore, Pedrinho, Sikan
Atalanta: Carnesecchi, Kolasinac, Djimsiti, Toloi, Bellanova, De Roon, Ederson, Ruggeri, De Ketelaere, Lookman, Retegui
Anything else catch the eye?
Shakhtar Donetsk and Bologna have attacking quality and both teams could be backed to score at 8/11 with Betfred. Over 2.5 goals is priced at 4/6 while Betfred is also offering odds of 7/4 for over 3.5 goals.
Atalanta are priced at minimal odds for a straight victory, so a win and over 2.5 goals could be considered at 7/5 with Betfred.
This UEFA Champions League match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Atalanta will be played on Oct 2, 2024 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best Shakhtar Donetsk vs Atalanta prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
