Shakhtar Donetsk vs Barcelona Prediction & Match Preview
Barcelona is determined to maintain their flawless record in Group H as they prepare to take on Shakhtar Donetsk at Volksparkstadion, a neutral venue.
The Catalan giants narrowly escaped with a victory against Real Sociedad over the weekend and are now focused on securing their place in the Champions League knockout stages.
The return of the fit-again striker Robert Lewandowski to the starting lineup, after missing the previous group game due to injury, is a significant boost.
Raphinha and Pedri are also vying for starting positions, but the team will have to do without the injured Sergi Roberto and Frenkie de Jong.
On the other hand, the Miners are aiming to surpass Porto and secure second place in the standings. However, with Barca’s key players available for Tuesday’s clash, the odds appear to favor the Group H leaders. It’s worth noting that Shakhtar defender Yukhym Konoplya is suspended for the match.
Team News:
Shakhtar will be without Stav Lemkin, Lassina Traore, and Ivan Petryak for this contest. Irakli Azarovi is also expected to miss out after being stretchered off in their previous match against Dynamo Kyiv. Yaroslav Rakitskyi, who replaced Azarovi off the bench in the league contest, is likely to be introduced into the starting XI for this match.
Danylo Sikan, who has scored four goals for Shakhtar this season, is set to operate in the final third of the field, while Oleksandr Zubkov, with three goals this term, is expected to retain his attacking position.
As for Barcelona, Pedri made his long-awaited return from the bench against Real Sociedad on Saturday but is not likely to start at this stage. The Catalan team’s only confirmed absentee for this match is Sergi Roberto, who is working to recover from a calf issue. Frenkie de Jong is also a major doubt due to an ankle problem.
Robert Lewandowski is on the path to recovery from an ankle problem and should start in this match. There could be a couple of changes from the weekend clash against Real Sociedad, with Andreas Christensen and Raphinha potentially entering the starting lineup. Lamine Yamal and Oriol Romeu are also options for the XI but are expected to be among the substitutes at the start of the match.
