FC Barcelona are looking to finally book their spots in the knockout stage when they meet with Shakhtar Donetsk for their group stage match. These two teams are in Group H, and it is no longer surprising that Barcelona is the one with more wins. In fact, they are at the top of the league table, earning nine points, still unbeaten in their first three matches in the contest. On the other hand, Shakhtar is currently at the third of the group with just three points from their one win. Moreover, these two teams already have seven matches in their history. From those matches, it is not a shock that Barcelona is the one with impressive record. They won five matches, while Shakhtar managed to win only once, and they do not have a single draw. This meeting is on November 8, 2023, at 1:45 AM (GMT+8).
FC Barcelona
Barcelona, the La Liga champions, have finished third in their last two Champions League group-stage campaigns and are currently in the round of 16 this season. They can secure their progression if they avoid defeat in this match, but they still have a strong position even if a defeat occurs. The Catalan team is top of Group H with nine points, having defeated Antwerp 5-0 in their section opener and Porto and Shakhtar in their last two fixtures. Barcelona suffered a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico last month, but managed a 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad in La Liga. They have won seven, drawn one, and lost three of their previous 11 away matches against Ukrainian opposition in European football, but only been victorious in 14 of their last 32 away matches, suffering nine defeats.
Barcelona’s Pedri returns from the bench against Real Sociedad, but is not expected to start. Sergi Roberto is battling a calf problem, while Frenkie de Jong is a major doubt due to an ankle issue. Robert Lewandowski should start, but Andreas Christensen and Raphinha may come into the side.
Shakhtar Donetsk
Shakhtar, a Ukrainian football team, began their Group H campaign with a 3-1 loss to Porto but recovered to beat Royal Antwerp 3-2. They suffered a 2-1 defeat against Barcelona in their third game, leaving them in third position. The team cannot be eliminated from the competition on Tuesday, but a defeat would leave them in a difficult spot. They entered this match after a 1-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine’s top flight. Shakhtar has won three, drawn five, and lost seven of their previous home fixtures against Spanish opposition. They have failed to progress from their section in their last five Champions League campaigns, but they hope to finish ahead of Antwerp in third if they cannot claim a top-two position.
Shakhtar will be without Stav Lemkin, Lassina Traore, and Ivan Petryak, and Irakli Azarovi due to injury. Yaroslav Rakitskyi will replace Azarovi, and Danylo Sikan will play in the final third. Oleksandr Zubkov, who has scored four times this season, is expected to retain his attacking spot.
Prediction:
FC Barcelona (1.5)
Odds: -0.97
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