Sahtior Donetsk – AS Roma – Champions League
Sahtior Donetsk may seem like a modest team that does not make big claims in European competitions, but so far it has proved to be a “hard nut”, having a good track record in the current Champions League edition, so this evening is seen as the favorite by betting agencies, its main advantage is its own ground, where supporters can play an important role. The champion of Ukraine is doing well in the current season, the championship being at the first place at three points of the rival Dynamo Kiev, while in the Champions League it can boast with a qualification in the eighth, fourth in history. The team coached by Paulo Fonseca finished in second place in a group with Manchester City, Napoli and Feyenoord, in disputes with these four victories, losing twice, matches in which he scored nine times, winning so many goals. Sahtior Donetsk started this year in the first official match in 2018 succeeding a victory, imposing 5-0 in the dispute with Cheromorets Odessa.
• PROBABLE TEAM: Pyatov – Butko, Kryvtsov, Rakitskiy, Ismaily – Fred, Stepanenko – Marlos, Taison, Bernard – Ferreyra
“It will be a very intense, tactile match. Both teams will impose their style and will refuse to betray their playing principles. Rome is a good team with valuable players and a fantastic coach. I can not compare the Sahtior now with the one in 2011 [of Mircea Lucescu], who defeated Rome. Now we have a different team with a different style of play. “- said Paulo Fonseca for uefa.com.
AS Roma on the other side is a more valuable team, but no doubt, but today it is ranked second with betting odds, being disadvantaged by the fact that it will evolve away on a field that hosts rarely climb. The Romans are not doing badly in the current season, with the third place in the domestic championship, and they are also very good in the Champions League, finishing first in a very difficult group with Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Qarabag. In the six games against them, the team prepared by Eusebio Di Francesco gathered 11 points, managing three wins and two draws, losing only once in these matches with nine goals, with six fewer. AS Roma is in a good form, coming after a series of three consecutive victories, defeating Hellas Verona, Benevento and Udinese, against which he scored eight times.
• PROBABLE TEAM: Alisson – Bruno Peres, Fazio, Manolas, Kolarov – De Rossi, Strootman – Cengiz Ünder, Nainggolan, Perotti – Džeko
“There will be many times when we will force the offensive, but taking into account that we are playing against a very good team, especially when it has the ball, we will have to take the step back. I see my team growing from day to day, and in this match I have big expectations. “- said Eusebio Di Francesco, quoted by uefa.com.
The last three direct defeats ended with the victory of the Ukrainians, but today it seems hard to be wrong that they will have an easy task, given that they will cheat with a stronger team. We are expecting a match played, on the contrary, in which we will succeed at both gates.
Prediction Today: Sahtior Donetsk – AS Roma: Both teams to score
Odds: 1.76Prediction of the Day: Sahtior Donetsk – AS Roma Both teams to score
Odds: 3.40
