Vyacheslav Zakhovailo, a renowned manager and expert, has shared his prediction for the Shakhtar vs Marseille UEFA Europa League last-16 match.
"Shakhtar will play in Hamburg again. At the Volksparkstadion, they have already beaten Antwerp and Barcelona 1-0 in the Champions League group stage. They have the support of the stands and neutral fans.
Against the current Marseille, it should be easier for the Miners than if this match had taken place earlier. At the moment, the French team does not impress me. They have an unconvincing pattern of play, they rarely score more than two goals, they are a "draw team" - in 21 Ligue 1 rounds played, they have already had 9 draws with 7 wins.
It will be interesting to see Shakhtar after the winter break. They are just getting into the rhythm of official matches, just like Sparta vs Galatasaray. There were a lot of control matches at the training camp, but this is different.
I see the Shakhtar's chances of success in the first meeting as quite good. They will come out with the best possible attitude, with a fresh start, with a desire to prove themselves. The team is quite young, fast and ambitious. I haven't seen a Shakhtar match for a long time, but I liked what I saw in the Champions League group stage. I'm betting on the Shakhtar to win in Hamburg. I think they will be able to score more goals against Marseille," Zakhovailo said.