SHAKHTAR DONETSK v MANCHESTER CITY 
Wednesday 18thSeptember 2000hrs
Football – Europe – Champions League
Pick Over 2.5 goals
Bookmaker Betfair
Odds: 1.50 (odds taken 04:29 GMT, 18 September )
 |
1 | X | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10.00 | 5.95 | 1.27 |
(Betting Odds were taken from 22Bet on September 18, 2019 at 04:29)
The opening matches of Matchday 1 in the Champions League continue on Wednesday night and our next preview features the clash in Group C between Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester City as the betting tips continue at the Oblasny SportKomplex Metalist.
Shakhtar Donetsk Prediction – Can Shakhtar Donetsk frustrate Man City?
Shakhtar Donetsk must be getting fed up with facing Manchester City in the Champions League as Wednesday night’s Ukrainian hosts have been up against the Premier League side in the last two seasons on the trot of this competition.
The hosts head into this opening Group C clash with Manchester City on the back of an 8-match unbeaten run in all competitions which includes 7 wins with each victory being achieved in the Ukrainian top flight league.
This sort of unbeaten sequence would normally give a side belief that they can get something from this upcoming Champions League clash (and indeed, it might), but having lost 3 of their previous 4 encounters against tonight’s visitors, there’s no guarantees of the hosts picking up anything from this encounter.
In November 2017, Shakhtar Donetsk recorded a 2-1 win over City, but the blue half of Manchester gained their revenge in last season’s 3-0 win last October at the Oblasny SportKomplex Metalist, and Shakhtar have failed to win any of their last 3 Champions League ties at home.
Manchester City Prediction – Can Manchester City continue dominance?
A surprise 3-2 loss away at Norwich City on the weekend spoiled Manchester City’s unbeaten start to the new Premier League season and indeed, ended a sequence of 18 matches without defeat in the English top flight.
We can therefore be fairly certain that Manchester City will come out swinging in Wednesday night’s Group C opener against Shakhtar Donetsk, a team that they’ve beaten in 3 of their previous 4 encounters in the Champions League.
Prior to their visit to Carrow Road to take on Norwich City, Manchester City had won their previous 5 away matches on the trot in all competitions with 4 of these 5 matches resulting over 2.5 goals, and they’ll be keen to set the record straight here this evening following that humiliating defeat against The Canaries.
Manchester City’s results away from home in the Champions League haven’t all gone their way though as the visitors have lost 3 of their last 8 away ties, winning 4 and 1 draw, but 7 of these last 8 matches overall resulted in over 2.5 goals.
Key-Facts – Shakhtar Donetsk v Manchester City
- Shakhtar Donetsk are unbeaten in their last 8 matches overall
- Shakhtar have failed to win any of their last 3 Champions League ties at home
- Manchester City have won 3 of the previous 4 meetings against Shakhtar Donetsk
Betting Tips Verdict
With neither side in particularly sparkling form in this competition in recent times and the last 3 encounters between these two sides producing 3 goals or more, the safest play is on the goals market here.
