Shakhtar vs. unbeaten-away Sporting: who will end the streak? Shakhtar — Sporting prediction
On November 3, Shakhtar will face Lisbon-based Sporting in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase. The Ukrainian club have collected four points from three matches, while the Portuguese side have six. Both teams suffered defeat in the previous round but returned to winning ways in domestic competition afterward. Now, the rivals will look to strengthen their positions in the race to reach the playoffs.
Shakhtar: a reliable defence and a major attacking loss
Arda Turan’s team made a confident start to their Champions League campaign. The Miners drew with PSV (1-1), defeated AEK (3-1) and narrowly lost to Inter (0-1), despite playing with a man advantage from the 68th minute onward. Since the trip to Milan, the Ukrainian club have gone 283 minutes without conceding. During that run, Shakhtar thrashed Dynamo Kyiv (3-0) in the Ukrainian Cup and beat Obolon (2-0) in the league last weekend.
At the same time, the Donetsk side have been hit by an injury problem. Pedrinho suffered a serious injury, forcing the club to replace him in their Champions League squad with Prosper Obah. The rest of the key players are available, and in their latest Ukrainian Premier League match, Turan rested most of his regular starters. Allison Santana deserves special attention after scoring twice following his introduction from the bench. The defence also looks more organised: across three Champions League rounds, opponents have managed just ten shots on Shakhtar’s goal on target.
Sporting: coaching changes and an unbeaten away run
Sporting have collected six points from three Champions League rounds, but an unexpected 3-2 defeat to LASK marked the beginning of a difficult period. The Portuguese side then lost to Academico Viseu (1-2) before managing to turn things around with victories over Maritimo (2-1) and Casa Pia (2-0). Against the backdrop of their inconsistent results, the club parted ways with Rui Borges. Paulo Fonseca, who previously managed Donetsk-based Shakhtar and French side Lyon, is expected to become the new head coach. However, the team will be led by interim manager Tiago Fernandes against the Ukrainian club.
Despite the coaching changes, Sporting retain significant attacking potential. The Lisbon side have not lost away from home since March 22, recording seven wins and five draws during that period. Their defence, however, remains vulnerable: only four of their last 14 matches have ended without conceding. The squad situation has been complicated by injuries to Nuno Santos, Zeno Debast and Rodrigo Zalazar, while Néstor Irankunda’s participation remains in doubt. Nevertheless, Luis Suárez, Geny Catamo and the other attacking leaders are capable of causing problems for Shakhtar’s defence.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Shakhtar have kept a clean sheet for 283 minutes across all competitions
- Sporting are unbeaten in their last 12 away matches, recording seven wins
- Over 2.5 goals have been scored in seven of Shakhtar’s last 10 matches and six of Sporting’s last nine
Can Shakhtar stop Sporting? Shakhtar — Sporting prediction
Both teams favour attacking football, but Shakhtar have shown greater defensive reliability in recent matches. Arda Turan’s side gained additional confidence from victories over Dynamo and Obolon, although Pedrinho’s absence could affect their chance creation.
Sporting are dangerous on the counterattack and boast an impressive unbeaten away run. Despite the coaching changes, the Portuguese side are capable of putting up a strong fight. Considering the strengths of both teams, the most likely outcome is an evenly matched game in which both sides score.
