The Arena Lviv will come alive on Tuesday as Shakhtar Donetsk host German giants Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 first leg tie. Shakhtar’s strong Brazilian contingent, led by record-breaking striker Luiz Adriano, were banging in the goals in the group stage. But the Ukrainians might be the ones in danger of getting blown away by an in-form Bayern squad.
Can Shakhtar survive the German giants’ onslaught? Find out more with our comprehensive preview below. Also, check out our preview of Tuesday’s other Round of 16 clash, PSG vs. Chelsea, as well as coverage of the biggest soccer games from around the world, in our soccer news section.
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Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Bayern Munich Betting Preview
Shakhtar Donetsk qualified for the round of 16 for the third time in the last five seasons after they finished runners-up to FC Porto in Group H. The Ukrainians lost just once in six group matches (2-1-3), with 15 goals scored and just four conceded.
[sc:Soccer240banner ]Nine of those goals were courtesy of the tournament’s leading scorer, Luiz Adriano, who equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most goals in the group stage (nine). The Brazilian also tied Lionel Messi’s record for most goals in a single Champions League game with his five-goal haul in Shakhtar’s 7-0 thrashing of BATE Borisov.
Adriano will lead a very talented Shakhtar front four with fellow Brazilians Douglas Costa, Alex Teixeira and Taison playing behind him. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that Bayern will retain much of the possession, but Shakhtar has the pace in Costa, Teixeira and Taison to break quickly on the counterattack and a clinical striker in Adriano to make the most of any opportunity that comes his way.
However, the Ukrainians will not enjoy much of a homefield advantage during their “home leg.” Due to the ongoing turmoil in the Ukraine, this match will be played in Lviv, which could make for a more subdued atmosphere. Shakhtar have played all their home games this season in Lviv, and went 1-1-1 in that stadium during group play.
Shakhtar will also have the added handicap of playing their first competitive game in over a month due to the Ukrainian league’s winter break.
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Betting on Bayern Munich
Mighty Bayern Munich returned from their long winter break with a significant amount of rust. They were shockingly thumped 4-1 away to Wolfsburg on Jan. 30 and only managed a 1-1 draw at home to Schalke days later.
However, the German champions have quickly shaken off that rust with two successive wins. They beat Stuttgart 2-0 away and followed that up with an 8-0 mauling of Hamburg at home over the weekend to set them up nicely for their Champions League first leg.
The trio of Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze and Arjen Robben were in fine form as they each netted twice against Hamburg. The three contributed half of Bayern’s 16 goals during the group stage, in which Bayern won five of six games.
Bayern’s incredibly strong squad just got stronger with the return of versatile defender/midfielder David Alaba, midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and defender Holger Badstuber from their respective injuries. Having them back will give manager Pep Guardiola more options with regard to his preferred formation.
Even though they’re away from home, expect Bayern to maintain the lion’s share of the ball against Shakhtar. They retained 70 percent of possession in their wins over Stuttgart and Hamburg. That should give Bayern enough opportunities for their world-class forwards to find their way through Shakhtar’s defense.
Writer’s Prediction
Bayern (-335) have too much for Shakhtar and take a 2-0 advantage to the second leg.
