Date: September 30, 2014
Venue: Arena Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine
Kick-off time: 19:45 hours BST
Champions League’s Group H’s more prominent fixture, played between Shaktar Donetsk and FC Porto, will be exciting to watch from a neutral point of view. Both teams have been domestically strong this season and will be looking to lock horns to try to maximize their chances.
FC Shaktar Donetsk form: W-W-D-L-W
Shaktar’s problems related to the ongoing Ukraine crisis may well have been pushed to the background. Shaktar’s important players like Douglas Costa and Luiz Adriano are back where they belong and are looking sharp. The Ukrainian side sit second in their domestic league and second in the group H.
Against FC Porto, they have a task cut out to keep at bay the Porto attackers.
FC Porto form: W-W-D-D-W
Porto’s domestic form has been okay, but their first Champions League game against BATE Borisov was phenomenal. They decimated the BATE side, scoring six goals in the process. Porto, traditionally, are strong in Europe in the group stages and will be looking for another win in Ukraine.
They have strong forward line that may cause problems for the Ukrainians.
Key Players
FC Shaktar Donetsk: Djario Srna
The Czech international has been at the heart of Shaktar’s defence this season. His fine form has gone a bit unnoticed, as he has done all the dirty work for his team. A leader of men he has rallied the Shaktar defence and provided a strong base for the midfielders to work on.
FC Porto: Jackson Martinez
The rugged Colombian forward did not feature heavily in the World Cup, but hit fine form for the Portuguese side. Five goals in six matches is not a bad return at all for the Colombian international. His physical presence and technical qualities is an asset for any European side.
Betting Advice
Porto will be sharper attack wise, but considering the game is at Shaktar’s home the game could end up being a draw with BetVictor offering 3.1 for a stalemate. Over 2.5 goals to be scored at 2.2 with BetVictor as well.