EINTRACHT FRANKFURT v SHAKHTAR DONETSK
Europa League
Thursday 21st February 2019
Kickoff: 1755hrs
Pick: Eintracht Frankfurt AH-0.25
Bookmaker: Marathonbet
Odds: 1.78 (odds taken at 13:29 GMT, 20 Feb 2019)
The second legs of the round of 16 in the Europa League are due to be played on Thursday night and we start things off by looking ahead to Eintracht Frankfurt taking on Shakhtar Donetsk as the betting tips continue at the Commerzbank-Arena with the tie hanging in the balance…
Europa League Betting at Marathonbet
Eintracht Frankfurt Prediction
German club Eintracht Frankfurt earned a valuable 2-2 draw away at Ukraine outfit Shakhtar Donetsk in last week’s first leg at the Donbass Arena, and they now return to their Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt looking to finish the job and grab a place in the quarter-finals.
The hosts have become something of ‘draw specialists’ though in recent weeks as they’ve drawn each of their last five matches in all competitions, with stalemates against Werder Bremen, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga as well as last week’s first leg in the Europa League.
It’s worth noting though that three of these four draws domestically were against teams that are sitting in the top four of the Bundesliga, while being unbeaten in their last three in the German top flight at home which also includes a 3-1 win over Freiburg.
Forwards Jovic (14 goals), Haller (11 goals) and Rebic (7 goals) are the hosts’ main goal threats.
- Eintracht Frankfurt have drawn all of their last 5 matches in all competitions
- Shakhtar Donetsk have had to play 7 club friendlies January
- Last week’s first leg was the first meeting between these two teams
Shakhtar Donetsk Prediction
Shakhtar Donetsk may well be fearing the worst as they prepare for their visit to Frankfurt having missed their opportunity to get a lead in the first leg when they hosted Eintracht Frankfurt at their Donbass Arena in last week’s 2-2 draw.
With their domestic Premier League season not returning until next week after the winter break, the visitors have had to make do with a number of club friendlies (seven to be precise), and although they’ve continued time on the pitch, there’s no substitute for competitive game time, and they could find themselves in a sticky situation as this second leg wears on.
Shakhtar Donetsk actually possess an impressive recent history of results away from home in the Europa League as they’ve won eight of their last nine matches on their travels, but the lack of competitive matches since mid-December could take its toll in Frankfurt on Thursday night.
Midfielder Marlos (7 goals) and leading goalscorer Junior Moraes (14 goals) are the main goal threats for the visitors as they look to nick a win in Germany on Thursday night.
Betting Tips Verdict
Eintracht Frankfurt with home advantage should just about hold the edge in this second leg, but bearing in mind their recent spate of draws, using the handicap in this clash looks the best bet here.
