Barcelona will be aiming to maintain their 100% record in Group H of the UEFA Champions League as they travel to Volksparkstadion for a clash with Shakhtar Donetsk. Barcelona have already beaten Shakhtar this season and with the Ukrainians playing their home fixtures in Germany, the Catalans will be confident of completing the double on Tuesday.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s previous fixture in Group H of the Champions League was a 2-1 defeat in Barcelona. They were second best to the Catalans throughout the encounter and fell two goals down before Heorhii Sudakov pulled one back midway through the second half.
That result is an extension of Shakhtar Donetsk’s poor start to the Champions League as they have suffered two defeats in their three matches so far. One of the defeats was a 3-1 home loss to FC Porto on Match-Day One.
One thing that Shakhtar Donetsk can build on is their overall form beyond their poor Champions League showings. Marino Pusic’s men have won five of their last six matches across all competitions and claimed a 1-0 victory over Dinamo Kiev in a Ukrainian Premier League fixture last weekend.
Barcelona were regarded as overwhelming favourites in Group H and have lived up to those expectations so far. They have won all three of their matches and only just conceded their first goal in the competition last time out after Ferran Torres and Fermin Lopez had given them a two goal lead.
Beyond the Champions League, it has been an overall solid start to the season For Barcelona, who have lost just once across all competitions. That defeat came against Madrid in the El Clasico and they quickly bounced back with a 1-0 victory at Real Sociedad in La Liga last weekend.
That win in Sociedad extends Barcelona’s fine record on their travels as they are unbeaten in seven away matches so far. However, Xavi’s men have been unconvincing at the back, keeping just two clean sheets in their last six matches on the road.
How the bookies view it
Barcelona have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 2/9 by BetVictor to claim the win. Shakhtar Donetsk are considered outsiders at home with a victory priced at 11/1 by Coral while a draw is set at odds of 11/2 by bet365.
Head to head
Barcelona have a 6-2 advantage from eight previous matches against Shakhtar Donetsk. The Catalans claimed a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in October.
Players to watch
Danylo Sikan netted a brace in the 3-2 victory at Antwerp on Match-Day Two and could be worth keeping an eye on for Shakhtar Donetsk. Bet365 is offering odds of 9/2 on the attacker to score anytime on Tuesday.
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski is still working his way to full fitness but could still be with keeping an eye on to score anytime at 4/6 with bet365. Ferran Torres has found the net in the last two Champions League matches and is priced at 7/4 by William Hill to maintain his scoring run.
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams were on target in the reverse fixture and a similar outcome is priced at 20/23 with Paddy Power. Shakhtar Donetsk have seen over 3.5 goals in two of their last three Champions League matches and a repeat is priced at 11/10 by BetVictor.
Barcelona are priced at minimal odds for a straight victory, so a win and both teams to score could be considered for more value at 8/5 with BoyleSports.
This UEFA Champions League match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Barcelona will be played on and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best Shakhtar Donetsk vs Barcelona prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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