Champions league match :Shakhtar Donetsk vs Chelsea FC Preview,Prediction,Live streams,Lineups
Donbass Arena — Donets’k
October 24, 2012 2:45 AM SGT
Watch Shakhtar 2-1 Chelsea Highlights
This is definitely one of derby matches of Champions league third-round, because in Donetsk will meet two teams who this season, are dominating in the national championships, while in their group E they currently hold the leadership positions with four points.
Specifically, in addition to a routine win over Danish Nordsjaelland, both teams have drew with the Italian champion Juventus, so that these next two duels between them will solve a lot of in terms of placement in the next round. Otherwise, this is their first time to meet in the European club competitions.
Shakhtar is absolutely dominant in the national championship for the last three years, so that they are automatically and a regular participants of the Champions League, where their biggest success was the placement in the quarterfinals in the season 2010/11.
However, the last year´s competition they ended up in the group stage, in a not so much tough group, while this season the Ukraine’s have not had so much luck with the drawing, given that for the opponents they got two big European teams, Chelsea and Juventus, and the Danish champions Nordsjaelland, which is definitely an absolute outsider in this group.
And it was against this team Shakhtar played in the first leg at home and came to secure a 2-0 victory, where both times the scorer was an Armenian Mkhitaryan, who with 14 goals in 12 matches played convincingly is the best scorer in the Ukrainian national league .
It should also be added that Shakhtar has not yet lost any points in the championship, so the gap between them and the first companion which are also their biggest rival Dynamo Kiev currently is 12 points.
However, the biggest success this season Shakhtar players have achieved in the second round of the Champions League, at Torino against Juventus where they played 1:1.They took a lead in that match trough Brazilian Alex Teixeira,and they were much better team who could score much more goals.
Of course, after the great party in Turin coach Lucescu against Chelsea absolutely does not need to make any changes in the team, although in the meantime has recovered and brilliant Brazilian midfielder Douglas Costa.
Shakhtar Donetsk Probable lineup 4-2-3-1: Pyatov;Srna, Chygrynskiy, Rakitskiy, Rat;Hubschman, Fernandinho;Ilsinho, Mkhitaryan, Willian;Luiz Adriano
Just like a Shakhtar and the popular “Blues” have very seriously started this season especially in the English Premier league,where currently occupied the first place with one draw and seven victories, of which the last one was at White Hart Lane against city rivals Tottenham which was extremely important for them to keep the big four point advantage ahead od the duo from Manchester.
It should be noted that in the Champions League after the opening 2-2 draw with Juventus in the second round Chelsea came to a routine triumph 0-4 on a guest appearance at the Danish Nordsjaelland, while in the second round of the Carling Cup at home they sunk the second division club Wolverhampton with even 6:0.
Still,so far Chelsea has lost only two games,and both were for trophies,the first one at the start of the season against Man City in Super Cup and the second was in Uefa´s supercup against Atletico Madrid,so they switched focus to Premier league and the Champions league where they will try to defend the title and to keep the winning mentality.
However, at this guest appearance in Donetsk definitely will not be easy for them, especially as a coach Di Matteo has a lot of problems with the game in defense, so probably from the first minute the experienced Chelsea´s captain John Terry will player, who normally in the domestic championship is still under a suspension of four games because of racism, while in midfield Lampard could get an advantage over something more offensive Ramires. Only slightly injured midfielder Marin is not available to Chelsea for this match.
Chelsea probable lineup 4-2-3-1 :Cech;Ivanovic, Terry, Luiz, Cole;Mikel, Lampard;Hazard, Oscar, Mata;Torres
Match Prediction : Given that these two teams after the first two rounds have a advantage over the third-placed Juventus, it is difficult to expect that in this match, they will play with some risk, so it’s kind of the most realistic option for us to see one in Donetsk one tough match with no so many goals. Under 3 goals and the good odd is here.
Watch Champions league match Shakhtar Donetsk vs Chelsea FC live online here.