That was a shock. Big-time underdogs Shakhtar Donetsk showed some tremendous defensive resolve as they came away with a very creditable 0-0 draw in their round of 16 first leg against highly-favored Bayern Munich. The German giants, who spent a third of the game with 10 men, must now regroup and cope without midfield maestro Xabi Alonso for their must-win second leg in Munich.
Is a monumental upset in the cards? Read on for our preview of this potentially suspense-filled second leg below. Likewise, check out our preview of the Chelsea vs. PSG second leg, which is also knotted up at 1-1.
[sc:Soccer ]Bayern Munich vs. Shakhtar Donetsk Betting Preview
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
When: Wednesday, March 11, 2:45 PM ET
Line: Shakhtar Donetsk at Bayern Munich – view all Champions League lines
What’s at Stake
[sc:Soccer240banner ]A place in the Champions League quarterfinal is firmly at stake. For Bayern, the equation is simple: win and they’re in. But Shakhtar will go through with a win or scored draw, while another 0-0 will result in extra time.
Betting on Bayern Munich
Things didn’t go according to plan for Bayern Munich as they were held to a 0-0 draw in the first leg. It was the first time they had been held scoreless since September, when they also drew 0-0 away at Hamburg.
Manager Pep Guardiola made a few surprise changes to his lineup, none bigger than starting Robert Lewandowski (11 goals in 26 appearances) on the bench. Guardiola was probably thinking the pace and mobility of Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze and Franck Ribery would be key in unlocking a Shakhtar defense that would sit very deep and compact.
Bayern started out well enough and created three clear-cut goalscoring opportunities inside the first 10 minutes. But they didn’t capitalize on those chances failed to create many better ones after that. The sending off of Xabi Alonso due to a bringing down Shakhtar’s Taison in the 65th minute also didn’t help.
Still, the first leg showed that Bayern are the superior side. They had close to 70 percent of possession away from home when they still had 11 men and should enjoy the same back in Germany. Alonso’s suspension will be a blow, but David Alaba can fill-in capably in midfield alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Bayern will still need to solve Shakhtar’s stingy defense, but they should fancy their chances to eventually break them down with 11 men for all 90 minutes at home.
Bayern have been in imperious form at the Allianz Arena this season. They’ve won 10 of their 11 Bundesliga home games (10-0-1) this season, with 36 goals scored and just conceded three. They also won all three home games during the group stage, with six goals scored and none conceded.
Betting on Shakhtar Donetsk
Shakhtar Donetsk pulled off quite the result as they shut out mighty Bayern in the first leg. Much more renowned for their attacking flair, Shakhtar showed they could hunker down and defend as well. Manager Mircea Lucescu set them up in two banks of four, which made them very tough to break down. The Shakhtar players also weren’t afraid to put in some physical challenges, which did seem to rattle Bayern.
It’s hard to see Shakhtar straying too far away from this successful gameplan as they head to Munich for the second leg. They started slowly in the first leg, but it was mostly due to almost two months without playing a competitive game. With the domestic league set to start up again, they should be in a much better physical and mental state in Munich.
Meanwhile, Shakhtar still possess the dangerous speed and skill up front with their Brazilian forwards Luiz Adriano, Alex Texeira and Douglas Costa, who can all snatch an all-important goal on the counterattack. Adriano has proven to be the most devastating of the three after he equaled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most goals in the group stage (nine).
The longer they keep Bayern out, the more likely it is that the home side and overwhelming favorite will be pressured to push, which could leave them susceptible to those deadly Shakhtar breaks.
Writer’s Prediction
Bayern finally takes care of business with a comfortable 2-0 win. Make your own shrewd business move and create a betting account with America’s top sportsbook.
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