Kick-off: 1800, 05/08/2020
Stadium: NSK Olimpiyskiy
TV: BT Sport
Shakhtar are in pole position to reach the Europa League quarter-finals after beating Wolfsburg 2-1 in Germany, but we’re expecting a close second encounter.
The visitors are unbeaten in nine straight away matches in this competition and have only ever lost on the road in England.
Let’s go for a draw at 5/2 as our initial Shakhtar Donetsk vs Wolfsburg prediction.
A Look At Shakhtar Donetsk’s Betting Odds
Shakhtar went in front at Volkswagen Arena back in March when Junior Moraes pounced on some poor defending by John Brooks.
Both teams then missed penalties before Brooks made amends by heading in from a corner.
Teenager Marcos Antonio restored Shakhtar’s lead when nodding in the rebound after a free-kick had been tipped onto the bar.
Overall, that was a pretty even contest, though, with Wolfsburg having a couple of late chances to level things up again.
Luis Castro’s side had earlier finished third in a Champions League group behind Manchester City and Atalanta, before edging out Benfica 5-4 on aggregate in this event.
Since returning from lockdown, Shakhtar have cruised to a runaway domestic title triumph, with a nine-match unbeaten run featuring seven wins.
Brazil-born Moraes has been in fine form up front, while former compatriot Mateus Tete looks a hot prospect on the wing.
Looking at the Shakhtar Donetsk vs Wolfsburg odds, there should be goals here and 31/10 for a score draw appeals.
A Look At Wolfsburg’s Betting Odds
Wolfsburg picked up two draws and a win on the road when runners-up behind Gent in Group I, before thrashing Malmo 5-1 on aggregate.
Josip Brekalo, Yannick Gerhardt and Joao Victor Santos Sa were on target in a 3-0 victory in Sweden.
Although only finishing seventh in the Bundesliga, it is worth noting that Oliver Glasner’s men claimed 30 of their 49 points in away matches.
We would have been tempted to go for the visitors to advance at 14/5 on that evidence, but over a month without competitive action may count against them here.
Wolfsburg did draw 1-1 at RB Leipzig in a warm-up match, though, and top scorer Wout Weghorst, who bagged 16 Bundesliga goals, is the type to still be sharp enough.
Let’s add 14/5 for both teams to score in the first half to our Shakhtar Donetsk vs Wolfsburg betting tips.
Additional stats
First-leg result:
WOLFSBURG 1-2 SHAKHTAR – John Brooks + Junior Moraes, Marcos Antonio
Previous head-to-head: N/A
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