Shakhtar Donetsk vs RB Leipzig prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-11-01 17:45.
Shakhtar Donetsk know only a win in their final UEFA Champions League (UCL) group game will be enough to see them qualify for the round of 16 for the first time since 2017/18. Igor Jovićević’s side are three points behind opponents Leipzig, but will beat them into second place with a victory because of a superior H2H record after hammering the German outfit 4-1 earlier on in the competition.
Jovićević is urging the Shakhtar fans to play their part, insisting “we believe we can play well and the fans will help us do it”, even though they are having to play this game at Stadion Wojska Polskiego in Warsaw due to the conflict back home. He will be encouraged by their strong form throughout the season, with Real Madrid the only team to beat them in 14 competitive games (W7, D6), although they conceded late on during a 2-2 draw with Oleksandria on Saturday, in a match that was played in Lviv and was halted due to an “air alert.”
That means they should provide a formidable opponent for Leipzig, who simply need to avoid defeat to qualify for the UCL knock-out stages for only the third time. They stunned Real with a superb 3-2 win in Germany last week, but manager Marco Rose is warning his players that they are not through yet, stating “We have to try and take the final step in Warsaw.”
The Red Bulls are currently in scintillating form, beating Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 in the Bundesliga at the weekend to make it seven wins from their last nine matches (D2). They have scored at least twice in eight of those outings too, but their results on the road in Europe might provide a cause for concern, as Leipzig have lost six of their last nine UCL away matches (W3).
Players to watch: Shakhtar’s Mykhaylo Mudryk scored against Leipzig earlier on in the group stages, and has now netted three times in five UCL appearances this season. He’ll be trying to outscore opposing forward Christopher Nkunku, one of Europe’s top marksmen this season with 13 goals in 19 games, including two in the UCL that were both netted before half-time.
Hot stat: Nine of Leipzig’s last 11 UCL away fixtures have contained at least three goals.