SHAKHTAR DONETSK v BASAKSEHIR
Thursday 25th August 2016 – Kickoff: 2100hrs
Football – Europe – Europa League Betting Tips
Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk are in the box-seat heading into their Europa League play-off second leg on Thursday night against Basaksehir following a 2-1 win in Turkey last week.
Shakhtar’s previous involvement in the group stages of the Champions League last season will have provided them with a lot of experience at the top level, and even though struggled in a group that contained the likes of PSG, Real Madrid and Malmo, they should have enough quality about them to progress through to the group stages of this competition.
The hosts are on a good run of form too ahead of this encounter as they’ve won their last four matches on the trot with wins gained against Oleksandra, Karpaty and Dnipro in their domestic Premier League along with last week’s win away at Basaksehir in the Europa League.
Turkish outfit Basaksehir ended a dismal run of six games without a win on the weekend when they beat Fenerbahce 1-0 at home which should give them a much-needed morale boost ahead of their second leg in Ukraine on Thursday night.
Basaksehir qualified for the Europa League play-offs thanks to a 2-2 on aggregate scoreline agains t Croatian side Rijeka, progressing through on the virtue of the away-goal rule, but they’ll have their work cut out on Thursday night if they’re to continue in this competition.
Basaksehir are without an away win at this level from their last five trips, and indeed have managed only three away wins from their last 13 away matches in the Europa League as the odds seem to be stacked against them in Ukraine tonight.
Pick: Shakhtar Donetsk to win @ 1.45 Unibet
