Champions League: Shakhtar Donetsk to Bounce Back Versus Barca

Shakhtar Donetsk vs FC Barcelona

Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk will meet at the Volksparkstadion in Germany for their second Champions League group stage bout. Xavi’s team dealt with the Ukrainian powerhouse when Hirnyky visited Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Torres and Lopez blew the game open for the home team before halftime and settled for a 2-1 victory.

This time, the narrative of these two clubs has changed, and both of them have a chip on their shoulders coming into the match. Hirnyky aim to prove their form against the best clubs in Europe as they try to transcend their dominance in Ukraine to the Champions League.

Meanwhile, Barcelona are having a streaky time in La Liga, suffering a grueling El Clasico and then barely hanging on against Real Sociedad. Xavi’s group is not forcing the issue, as they’ve kept their composure all throughout, but a convincing win against Shakhtar Donetsk will do wonders for Barca moving forward.

Talking Points

Barca quick to bounce back from El Clasico defeat

Last month, Barcelona hosted Real Madrid at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys for one of the most revered rivalries in all of sports. The stage was set, and all eyes were on the players as they took the field. It was a competitive match all throughout, and it was just what the fans were hoping for.

Barca drew first blood as Ilkay Gundogan capitalised on a Madrid blunder. Ancelotti’s defenders seemed to struggle to get hold of the ball, and what seemed like routine passing cost the Los Blancos the lead. Gundogan pestered the Madrid defenders until they conceded the ball entirely. All the German midfielder had to do then was flick the ball past Courtois, which he did, resulting in a 1-0 Barca lead.

The home team was controlling the pace of the match for the next 60 minutes, but then Jude Bellingham happened. Bellingham single-handedly carried Real over the hump, scoring an equalizer in the 68th minute, then proceeded to put the nail on the coffin during the dying minutes of the match.

Xavi and the rest of his team were obviously shattered after suffering a come-from-behind loss in an El Clasico, but it didn’t take long for them to recuperate and go back to their winning ways. Yesterday, they marched to Reale Arena and took care of business against Real Sociedad.

It was a surgical 0-1 win for Barca. They were neck and neck for almost the entire match, as both teams had convincing carries and attacks, but it was Barca who came out as the victors thanks to a late goal from Ronald Araujo.

The 24-year-old timed a perfect header to edge out Sociedad and give Barcelona their much-needed confidence back. A rejuvenated Barca squad would be a tall order to go against for any club. And surely they’ll be no pushovers when they face Shakhtar Donetsk to be the top seed in Group H of the UEFA Champions League.

Can Hirnyky’s success in UPL fare against the best in Europe?

Darijo Srna and his club are having a stellar campaign in the Ukrainian Premier League, as they sit in third place with 24 points, just a point behind Polissya and two points behind league leaders Kryvbas. They have won three of their last five UPL matches, which includes a clean sheet victory over Kyiv, LNZ, and Rukh Vynnyky. Hirnyky’s dominance also translates in the Ukrainian Cup, where they trampled over Mykolaivka in the quarterfinal with a score line of 0-3.

There is no doubt that Srna’s team is a force to be reckoned with in Ukraine, but how do they fare against the top clubs in Europe? Shakhtar Donetsk is coming into their Champions League match against Barcelona, trying to avoid their third loss in four matches. They are currently third in Group H, falling behind Barcelona and Porto.

This will be the second part of the double round robinin the group stages, and this should be when Hirnyky should step on the gas pedal and rack up favourable Champions League 2023 results. Currently, they are poised to go to the Europa League group stage, but with only one win above last place Antwerp, Srna and his team are still in danger of getting eliminated from the Champions League with nothing to show for.

History

Historically, Shakhtar Donetsk has struggled against Barcelona in the Champions League, as the Ukrainian club has lost five of their seven outings against their Spanish rivals. To add insult to injury, Barcelona have had Hirnyky’s number in not just the Champions League but also the Super Cup. Barca have won their last four meetings against Hirnyky across all the European competitions they’ve met in.

Betting Tip

There are two lines that I personally think every punter should consider, and the SBOTOP Champions League 2023 betting odds suggest so too. Barcelona are the heavy favourites to come out of this match as the victors, but their price of 1.25 holds enough value to consider. With all due respect to Shakhtar, most fans expect this to be a cake walk for Barcelona, especially since they just came off a recent win in La Liga. Shakhtar Donetsk are the underdogs at 7.00, while the draw price is at 6.40.

Another line worth considering is Asian HCP -1.5 at 1.79. Barcelona have scored eight total goals in their first three matches in Group H, and it’s smart to consider that Shakhtar have conceded seven goals to start their Champions League campaign. These statistics are a perfect storm for Barcelona to uphold its -1.5 value. A line that goes hand in hand with Barcelona’s act of getting goals and Shakhtar conceding them is O/U Over 3.00 at 1.73. Just like the two betting lines mentioned above, this holds enough value and excitement for punters to keep an eye on.

 

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.