Shakhtar – Rapid Wien

Shakhtar Donetsk will try to finish the job in the Champions League playoffs, after defeating Rapid Vienna 1-0 in a close first leg in Austria. The match will be played in L’Viv, which is Shakhtar’s home since the events in Ukraine got out of hand.

Shakhtar lost some players in the last two years, including this summer (Douglas Costa, Luiz Adriano), so it`s safe to say that they aren`t as good as a couple of seasons ago. But the team keeps producing new talent and will still be a dangerous side in this years’ Champions League. The Ukraineans didn`t necessarily deserve the win in the first leg, but it`s hard to argue with it – a close game and experience + quality made the difference. Shakhtar is on the back of a 3-0 win over Arsenal Kiev in the Ukrainian Cup and today they will look to replicate the same 3-0 result which they got in the previous round at home against Fenerbahce.

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One loss in the last 18 competitive games tells you all you need to know about this Rapid Vienna side. Granted, the opposition was generally modest, but Rapid knocked out Ajax in the previous round and looked very good against Shakhtar in the first round. Their main quality is the attacking force – the match against Shakhtar was only the second one in which they failed to score from the last 34 outings! And they did have their chances. The visitors are currently first in Austria with 5 wins and 1 draw in 6 rounds. They are on the back of a comfortable 3-0 win against Grodig in Austria.

Rapid Vienna is an excellent offensive side and after the defeat in the first leg, they really need to go for it here. Sure, they will probably not go all out attack, but they can`t just sit and defend either and if Shakhtar gets a goal, then they will really need to push forward, leaving wide open spaces at the back. Both teams have excellent quality up front and this should be an open, interesting encounter. Shakhtar’s defensive record this season is the only thing that works against a bet on goals, but a good offensive side like Rapid Vienna should find a way to score this time around. There`s also the Plan B, which means a 3-0 Shakhtar win – which is possible if the hosts have a really good day.

All in all I`m betting on the under / over market here. My tip is over 2,5 goals to be scored. Prediction: Shakhtar Donetsk – Rapid Vienna 3-1.

Pick: over 2,5 goals
Odds: 1.72 @ Bwin
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 5.76
Event date: 25 August