Well-known Ukrainian journalist Artem Frankov shared his prediction for the match of the 4th round of the Champions League group stage between Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid, which will take place today in Warsaw.
“Six days ago, I wrote a prediction for the match of these teams, which Real Madrid won 2:1, and should have won at least 5:1. It is impossible not to ask natural questions: what has changed since then, so that you can’t just take and do Ctrl + C?
Never mind.
Shakhtar did not play, persuading the authorities to postpone their league match against Lviv - perhaps, the Donetsk team seriously hopes to take points (a point) at least on their own field.
Real Madrid won the minimum away victory in the mini derby from Getafe. Eder Militao scored the only goal with a header at the beginning of the meeting after Luka Modric's corner kick.
Well, what has really changed? Zero.
Obviously, after a super vigorous start to the season, the team of Carlo Ancelotti slowed down a bit: they are no longer enough on all fronts. Like it or not, El Clasico against Barcelona on Sunday, October 16, quite possibly the main match of the Spanish season, distracts attention and sets in a completely different way.
The second of Shakhtar's obvious chances is that Real have already solved their problems in this group, scoring nine points out of nine. To assume that two competitors at once (Shakhtar - 4, Leipzig - 3, Celtic - 1) will be able to get ahead of the leader and favorite is only possible in a sticky nightmare. Therefore, rotation is not ruled out, and the superficial attitude of the stars of the Spanish club towards the opponent is not excluded - I think it was this, only on a smaller scale, that allowed the Donetsk team to avoid defeat in Madrid. I can’t say that our Andrey Lunin at the gate (however, it’s not a matter of rotation, but of an injury to a competitor) is so much weaker than Courtois, but such an opinion can also be caressed and cherished, at least in the second or third plan.
In this scenario, I would even play with a total of less than 3 for 2.14 - for sure, the opponents will play much more accurately, but I don’t really trust the strength of Shakhtar’s defense and I don’t really believe that Real Madrid players will continue to squander scoring chances as intensively as at the Santiago Bernabeu.
My bet: Shakhtar don't lose the first half for 1.94 - they would play, but again, they almost promised not to take coffs less than 2.0; and therefore - Shakhtar will score in the first half for 2.70; just don’t ask why, a rational answer is hardly possible here,” Frankov said.