Real Madrid host Shakhtar Donetsk in Champions League
Real Madrid vs Shakhtar Donetsk - 21/10/2020
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La Liga winners Real Madrid host Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday as both sides open their 2020/21 UEFA Champions League accounts.
With Inter Milan and Borussia Monchengladbach also featuring in Group B, Real Madrid will be confident of reaching the knockout stages without any real problems.
Zinedine Zidane’s side went unbeaten in their opening four La Liga games this season, picking up three wins and a draw.
However, Real lost their first game of the season last time out. Despite enjoying 75% possession and racking up 14 shots, Los Blancos suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to newly-promoted Cadiz.
But having kept three clean sheets in their first four outings, Zidane’s men have clearly picked up where they left off last season.
Real Madrid only conceded 25 goals in 38 games as they finished five points clear of Barcelona to clinch the La Liga title last season.
Meanwhile, Shakhtar are yet to taste defeat this term, with three wins and three draws coming from their opening six league games.
Shakhtar currently sit third in the Ukrainian Premier League – two points behind league-leaders Dynamo Kiev – having netted 15 goals (an average of 2.5 goals per game).
Manager Luis Castro will be pleased that his team remain unbeaten in 2020/21, although Shakhtar have only claimed 12 points from a possible 18.
However, Shakhtar’s recent Champions League record isn’t great. The Ukrainians have only managed to win one of their previous six games in Europe.
Head-to-head: Real Madrid and Shakhtar last met in the 2015/16 edition of the Champions League, with the Spanish side winning on both occasions.
Real beat Shakhtar 4-0 at the Bernabeu before securing a 4-3 victory in Ukraine. The Spaniards will be confident of another high-scoring victory this time around.
Team news: Daniel Carvajal, Martin Odegaard and Eden Hazard are all sidelined for Real Madrid, although Mariano Diaz and Alvaro Odriozola are close to returning from injury.
Shakhtar could be without as many as six first-team players on Wednesday, with Maksym Malyshev, Ismaily, and Yevgen Konoplyanka all long-term absentees.
When you couple Real Madrid’s record against Shakhtar with their recent defensive solidity, it is difficult to imagine the Ukrainian side getting anything from this game.
Forebet predicts that Real Madrid will once again score over 2.5 goals against Shakhtar. Zidane’s men are expected to kick off their Champions League campaign with a high-scoring victory.
Home team
Away team
Pred
Correct score
Avg. goals
Weather conditions
Coef.
Score
Live
coef.
UCL
513118
1
3 - 1
3.78
17° 1.21
1.21
7.80
15.00
1
-1
1
2 - 3(0 - 3)