From the crisis in the top flight?
The Champions League opens its doors again. The numerous qualifying rounds are over, and now it’s on to the group stage. For the fifth time this season, RB Leipzig is also involved again. The German Cup winners open their international season on Tuesday with a home match against Shakhtyor Donetsk from Ukraine and also have a lot to look forward to in the European Cup.
This is the 17th time that the Ukrainians have been involved in the top flight and they are now almost a permanent fixture in the Champions League. On Tuesday at the Red Bull Arena, however, the guests are the big underdogs.
The Bulls have not had a good start to the season. Nevertheless, Domenico Tedesco’s team has enormous quality in all positions. If the Saxons get close to their normal form, then the prediction on this first matchday between RB Leipzig and Shakhtyor Donetsk can only go to a clear home win.
That is also due to the fact that Shakhtyor does not have particularly good experience with German clubs. The Ukrainians have faced a team from the Bundesliga ten times and have only managed to prevail once, in Hoffenheim in November 2018. That’s why we can hardly imagine placing a bet on an away win in the match between RB Leipzig and Shakhtyor Donetsk.
RB Leipzig – Statistics & current form
It almost seems as if RB Leipzig are somewhat overwhelmed with the current situation. Max Eberl is supposed to come to the Red Bull Arena as a link between coach and team on the one hand and the top management on the other. It is quite conceivable that his first official act will be to look for a new coach, because the laws of the market naturally also apply in Leipzig.
The Bulls in crisis
The Bullen have won two out of seven competitive matches this season. Red Bull celebrated the first victory against VfL Wolfsburg, who are in a much deeper crisis, and then there was the success in the DFB Cup against regional league team Teutonia Ottensen. That might not sound like you need to play the odds on a high home win in the clash between RB Leipzig and Shakhtyor Donetsk then.
It is, however, perhaps the last chance for Domenico Tedesco to turn the tide once again. Now, the Saxons are not exactly regarded as a club that is quick to fire coaches, but anyone who saw Saturday’s 0:4 at Eintracht Frankfurt can see that there is a lot wrong with this team. When top players who have proven their class several times don’t even begin to show their normal form, then something is probably wrong.
In terms of personnel, there will be at least one change compared to the defeat in Frankfurt. Dani Olmo has torn a ligament and will miss a few weeks. Dominik Szoboszlai and Emil Forsberg are the options on the ten. Otherwise, only Lukas Klostermann and Yussuf Poulsen are missing due to injury. It is quite possible that Domenico Tedesco will also rotate for performance reasons.
Predicted line-up of RB Leipzig:
Gulacsi – Orban, Gvardiol, Simakan – Raum, Laimer, Kampl, Henrichs – Forsberg – Werner, Nkunku – Coach: Tedesco
Last matches played by RB Leipzig:
Bundesliga
03/09/2022 – Eintracht Frankfurt 4 – 0 RB Leipzig
DFB Cup
31/08/2022 – Teutonia Ottensen 0 – 8 RB Leipzig
Bundesliga
27/08/2022 – RB Leipzig 2 – 0 VfL Wolfsburg
20/08/2022 – Union Berlin 2 – 1 RB Leipzig
13/08/2022 – RB Leipzig 2 – 2 1. FC Köln
Shakhtjor Donetsk – Statistics & current form
It is very difficult to concentrate on playing as a Ukrainian football club. However, the start of the national league has brought about something like normality. The players know empty spectator stands from the peak of the infection. At least they can do their jobs again, and with the premier league, a breeze of the big, wide football world will blow over Shakhtyor Donetsk once more.
Games are back in action
In the Premier League, Shakhtyor are unbeaten in their first three games and are in second place with seven points. In this respect, everything is fine for the time being. In the top flight, however, they would like to put an exclamation mark on their record. However, Donetsk have gone seven games without a win in the Champions League.
The Ukrainians’ problem is that their great successes in the top flight had a lot to do with their Brazilian legionnaires. 62 per cent of Shakhtyor’s goals in the Champions League were scored by Brazilians. However, there is currently only one South American in the squad. That means it could be difficult to score goals of your own, and perhaps that’s why you could make a prediction between RB Leipzig and Shakhtyor Donetsk for a win to nil for the Bullen.
Last weekend, Igor Jovicevic’s team won 1-0 at Rukh Lviv. Mykhaylo Mudryk was sent off after only half an hour for gross foul play. However, Shakhtyor held their nerve in the 78th minute when Yukhym Konoplya scored the winner. Viktor Kornienko is likely to be the only absentee for the Ukrainians on Tuesday.
Predicted line-up of Shakhtyor Donetsk:
Trubin – Mykhaylichenko, Matvienko, Bondar, Konoplya – Stepanenko, Sudakov, Bondarenko – Mudryk, Petryak, Sikan – Coach: Igor Jovicevic
Last matches played by Shakhtyor Donetsk:
Premier League
02/09/2022 – Rukh Lviv 0 – 1 Shakhtar Donetsk
28/08/2022 – Shakhtar Donetsk 1 – 0 Kryvbas
23/08/2022 – Shakhtar Donetsk 0 – 0 Metalist 1925
Friendly club matches
08/08/2022 – AS Roma 5 – 0 Shakhtar Donetsk
30/07/2022 – FC Utrecht 2 – 2 Shakhtar Donetsk
RB Leipzig – Shakhtar Donetsk Direct comparison / H2H record
The paths of RB Leipzig and Shakhtjor Donetsk have not yet crossed. The Bullen have only ever had to face a Ukrainian club once before, when they beat Zorya Luhansk in the Europa League over a first and second leg in the 2018/19 season. Shakhtyor, on the other hand, have had far more contact with German clubs.
However, the Ukrainians only managed one win in ten matches against Bundesliga clubs. They did, however, win on German soil in an away match in Hoffenheim.
RB Leipzig – Shakhtyor Donetsk tip
It is certainly not the preferred scenario because you don’t want a crisis at the club in the first place, but there are some clubs who manage to overcome this crisis with victories in the European Cup. That is also the plan of RB Leipzig. The Bullen have had big problems so far this season and it almost seems as if Domenico Tedesco is having increasing difficulty moderating this muddle at RB.
A win at home against the Ukrainians would help RasenBallsport a lot to get back into calmer waters. From a purely squad quality point of view, there should be no two opinions as to who will take the three points in this opening game on Tuesday.
We can well imagine that bets on HT/FT from Leipzig or even a handicap win could well suit, even though the Ukrainians will certainly put up a fight. However, we reckon that the Saxons’ crisis management is working for the time being and have decided to play the betting odds on a win to nil for the Bulls between RB Leipzig and Shakhtyor Donetsk.
