Shakhtar Donetsk vs Antwerp prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-11-27 17:45.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s seventh successive UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage appearance got off to a worrying start when losing two of their opening three Group H matches, putting them at risk of a group stage exit for a sixth consecutive campaign. With their backs against the wall, Shaktar welcomed Spanish giants Barcelona to the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, and the Miners dug deep with a mesmeric 1-0 victory to keep their UCL hopes alive.
Marino Pušić’s men found the perfect time to secure what was only Shakhtar’s third victory in their last 17 UCL group stage matches (D6, L8), with the second coming on matchday two in their dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind victory over upcoming opponents Royal Antwerp. That victory at the Bosuilstadion continued their dominance over Belgian clubs, having lost only once in their 15 such encounters (W9, D5).
That was Antwerp's first ever matchup against a Ukrainian side in what’s been a dismal maiden UCL campaign, having lost every game so far. Themselves and Benfica remain the only teams yet to pick up any points, while no team has conceded more goals (14) or has a worse goal difference (-11) than Antwerp.
The Great Old have clearly struggled at both ends of the pitch with the quality the UCL has to offer, and will need to find a way to adapt here if they’re to avoid losing a club-record five European matches in succession. The current Jupiler Pro League, Belgian Cup, and Belgian Super Cup holders will need to correct a rotten run of matches on the road for that to happen, since they’ve lost four of their last seven away matches in any competition (D2, L1).
Players to watch: Scorer of half Shakhtar’s UCL Group H goals this season, Danylo Sikan might be the man they look to, having scored eight of his last 12 goals at home. As for Antwerp, they’ll want to shoot out of the blocks where Vincent Janssen is at his most dangerous, with 12 of his previous 13 goals all being scored before half-time.
Hot streak: None of the eight games played in Group H this UCL season has ended in a draw.