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December 8 2024, 23:00 · Alex Lawes
Updated: December 9 2024, 16:24

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich Preview: Team News & Prediction

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich Preview: Team News & Prediction
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This match is being played in the neutral venue of the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen as a depleted Bayern Munich side face a fairly average Shakhtar Donetsk side this week.

Kick-off date/time: Tuesday 10th December, 2024: UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm

How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised

How to watch online: UK – Discovery+ / US – Paramount+

Shakhtar Donetsk Preview: Resilient Shakhtar

Shakhtar Donetsk have to play in Germany because of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the Ukrainian champions have had to deal with rulings that have seen their squad decimated and yet they continue to overperform against expectations with a top 24 finish still possible.

They have started the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign with a win, a draw and three defeats. They most recently suffered a gutting 3-2 defeat to PSV Eindhoven a couple of weeks ago in a game in which they led by two goals to nil as late as the 87th minute.

Bayern Munich Preview: Bayern’s domestic dominance

Vincent Kompany was a surprise appointment at Bayern Munich but the Bavarians have been much-improved domestically this season. They have built a six-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga with ten wins and three draws in their opening 13 matches.

After back-to-back defeats in the UEFA Champions League a couple of months ago, they have now steadied themselves on the continent, too, with 1-0 wins at the Allianz Arena against Benfica and a faltering and struggling Paris Saint-Germain side. 

Shakhtar Donetsk Team News: Pedrinho suspension

In that game against PSV where they blew a two-goal lead, the turnaround was arguably sparked by Shakhtar going down to ten men in the 69th minute due to a Pedrinho red card and he is now missing through suspension for this week.

Predicted XI (4-1-4-1): Riznyk; Konoplya, Bondar, Matvyenko, Azarovi; Kryskiv; Zubkov, Bondarenko, Sudakov, Kevin; Sikan

Unavailable: Pedrinho (Suspended)

Questionable: 

Bayern Munich Team News: Injury crisis

England captain Harry Kane heads up something of an injury crisis for Bayern Munich to deal with as club captain Manuel Neuer is also sidelined alongside the likes of Alphonso Davies, Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller. 

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Peretz; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Goretzka, Sane; Musiala

Unavailable: Neuer (Injured), Ito (Injured), Stanisic (Injured), Davies (Injured), Palhinha (Injured), Gnabry (Injured), Coman (Injured), Tel (Injured), Muller (Injured), Kane (Injured)

Questionable: 

Key Stats

  • The only previous UEFA club competition matches between these two teams were in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League round of 16. Bayern progressed to the quarter-finals courtesy of a 7-0 victory in Munich in the second leg after the pair had drawn 0-0 in Ukraine in the first leg.
  • Shakhtar Donetsk have won only one of their last eight UEFA club competition matches (D2 L5).
  • Only one of Shakhtar Donetsk’s last 27 UEFA club competition matches finished without a goal being scored.
  • This is Bayern’s 400th match in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history (all rounds) and it is their 300th match in the UEFA Champions League proper (1992/93 onwards, GS/LP to F). They are only the second team to reach those landmarks after Real Madrid.
  • Bayern have lost only one of their last ten UEFA competition matches against Ukrainian teams (W7 D2).
  • Bayern have lost four of their last five UEFA Champions League matches away from home (D1).
  • Raphaël Guerreiro has made 49 appearances in the UEFA Champions League proper.

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich Prediction

Shakhtar Donetsk have some intriguing talents coming through and they have been able to hurt and limit teams throughout this competition. With that said, though, they are expected to finish outside of the top 24. Bayern Munich have the benefit of not having to leave Germany but Kompany must find a way to contend with so many absentees. The visitors are favourites but, like their last couple of European wins, it is likelier to be a lower scoring affair in Gelsenkirchen.

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich Tip: Bayern Munich to win & under 3.5 goals