Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rijeka: will Shakhtar Donetsk keep a top-eight place in the Conference League?
Shakhtar Donetsk and Rijeka will face each other in a Matchday 6 fixture of the UEFA Conference League. The match will take place on Thursday, 18 December, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00 CET, and I am offering a betting pick for this encounter.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rijeka: match facts and head-to-head
- Shakhtar Donetsk are unbeaten in nine matches: two draws and seven wins.
- Rijeka are unbeaten in six games: two draws and four victories.
- Rijeka have scored at least one goal in four consecutive matches, Shakhtar in two.
- In their last six away matches, Rijeka have managed just one win.
- At home, Shakhtar Donetsk are unbeaten in six games: one draw and five wins.
- Shakhtar Donetsk boast the second-best attack in the UEFA Conference League with ten goals scored.
- In 48% of their matches this season, Shakhtar Donetsk have scored in both halves.
- Shakhtar Donetsk have not lost a single match without scoring this season.
- Shakhtar have won a higher percentage of clean-sheet victories this season: 42% compared to 18% for Rijeka.
- Shakhtar Donetsk and Rijeka have never faced each other before.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rijeka: match preview
Shakhtar are just one step away from mathematically securing a direct place in the round of 16 of the Conference League. The Miners have collected 12 points from five matches, with their only defeat coming against Polish side Legia in a 1–2 loss. The gap to the ninth-placed team is currently three points, and Shakhtar need just one more point to guarantee a top-eight finish and a direct berth in the round of 16. In their most recent outings, they thrashed Epitsentr 5–0 in domestic competition and defeated Hamrun 2–0 in the Conference League.
Rijeka are also in strong form. They beat Celje 3–0 in their previous Conference League match and followed that up with a 3–1 victory over Vukovar 1991 in the HNL. The Croatian side currently sit inside the top 24, having accumulated eight points from five matches, which places them 14th in the table. Their cushion over the 25th-placed team is just two points, meaning that, theoretically, they could still miss out on the play-offs, although several factors would need to align for that to happen. At the same time, Rijeka trail eighth place by only two points, so they remain in the hunt for a top-eight finish as well.
Probable line-ups
- Shakhtar Donetsk: Fesyun, Azarovi, Konoplia, Bondar, Ghram, Nazaryna, Bondarenko, Lucas Ferreira, Isaque, Pedrinho, Luca Meirelles
- Rijeka: Zlomislić, Majstorović, Oreč, Radeljić, Devetak, Tiago Dantas, Petrovič, Gojak, Vignato, Fruk, Adu-Adjei
Prediction
Both teams still have strong motivation to push for victory in this match, even though their current positions are relatively comfortable. For that reason, my suggested bet is that both teams will score in this game.
