Shakhtar Donetsk vs Basel Betting Tip Shakhtar Donetsk – 11 August 2020

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Basel
11 August 2000hrs
Football – Europe – Europa League
Pick Shakhtar Donetsk
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 20/21 odds taken 2000 GMT, Monday 10 August

2009 winners Shakhtar Donestsk are looking to move a step closer towards repeating that success as they face Basel in the Europa League quarter-final on Tuesday.

Bet at Bet365

 

Shakhtar Donetsk Preview – Can Ukrainian champions advance to the semi-final stage for the first time in four years?

It’s over a decade from Shakhtar’s finest moment when defeating Werder Bremen in Istanbul to win the Europa League. Now, 11 years on, they are within three games of repeating that feat and will feel that whilst there are some big names left in the competition, that they are well placed to at least reach the semi-finals and take their chance from there.

Luis Castro has been in charge for just over a year and his first season has seen Shakhtar’s domination of the Ukrainian Premier League continue, winning the title by 23 points. There was some disappointment in the Champions League when finishing only third in their group after winning only one of their six games.

 

Castro’s men have gotten over that disappointment pretty quickly having seen off tough competition in the shape of Benfica and Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg to reach the last eight. Just as they have been free-scoring domestically, Shakhtar have already hit 10 goals in four Europa League games so there will be confidence that they can trouble team’s with their potent attack.

That attack is led by Junior Moraes who scored 20 in the league and his hit three in their Europa League campaign so far – all of them coming in the previous round against Wolfsburg.

Basel Preview – Will Basel’s impressive European campaign continue and reach last four for just the second time?

There may have been disappointments aplenty domestically for Basel but they are enjoy a really memorable European campaign. Marcel Koller’s team could finish only third in the Swiss Super League but they are within a game of reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League for just the second time in their history.

They may be the outsiders left in the competition but this is still an opportunity for Basel to create history as a club and it remains possible they can qualify for next season’s Champions League if they can win the whole thing.

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All Koller and his players can do is concentrate on this next game and that’s what they have been so successful at doing in their run to the quarter-final stage. In the 10 Europa League games they have played so far, Basel have lost only one whilst winning eight. That has included all four knockout games – comfortably seeing off APOEL and Eintracht Frankfurt.

Although they have scored 20 goals of their own, the fact they have kept seven clean sheets in their 10 European games this season is perhaps the thing that will give them most confidence heading into this huge game on Tuesday.

 

Basel have been excellent throughout this campaign but Shakhtar are a step up in class for them and it’s doubtful that they will be able to dominate them as they have other teams en route to the quarter-finals. Castro’s men also have some added experience and that, along with their quality, can see them reach the last four.