Shakhtar Donetsk will play a historic match this Wednesday, on 6th of April, when they travel to Camp Nou to play in the first fixture of their first-ever Champions League quarter-final. Their opponents and hosts are the main favorites to win the Champions League trophy this season, the almighty Barcelona. On the other hand, Mircea Lucescu’s Miners are the biggest underdogs in the competition, with odds of 60/1 to win the prestigious trophy.
Betting on the favorites to hammer the underdogs is not always the best idea, especially in a Champions League fixture. Most punters expect a clear home win by a two- or even three-goal margin here. Therefore, betting on a high-scoring home win might appear to be lucrative.
On paper, this might look like an easy fixture for the Catalans, but on the field Shaktar will certainly prove to be a tough nut to crack. Shakhtar Donetsk could be the major upset of the Champions League quarters. Mircea Lucescu’s men are attack-oriented; they play a very spectacular football and have nothing to lose. Besides, pressure is always on the big favorites in these typical huge favorite versus big underdog matches.
In the previous round, Barcelona knocked out the Premier League title chasers Arsenal as they managed a 3-1 home win after they had lost 2-1 at Emirates Stadium. A fun fact to be noticed is that the team that has eliminated Arsenal from the Champions League in the last seven seasons has lost their next knock-out game.
The Ukrainians could be considered the major performers of the previous round as they progressed to the quarterfinals following a 6-2 win on aggregate against AS Roma. The four-goal margin of victory was the highest in the round of 16, and the Miners should be feared and respected by any opponent for this record. Moreover, Shakhtar registered an impressive overall record in their Champions League campaign as they won 7 of their 8 games, scoring 17 goals and only conceding 3 during these 7 wins. Also, their top 5 goalscorers in this competition are all Brazilians: Eduardo, Luiz Adriano, Douglas Costa, Jadson, and Willan.
Barcelona has some key absences which might influence the outcome of this vital match: skipper Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal will both miss this game. Given Shakhtar’s offensive power, Barcelona could get in trouble if they concede an early goal.
Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk last met in the UEFA Super Cup in 2009, when Barcelona needed an extra-time winner to prevail 1-0. However, Shakhtar’s last trip to the Camp Nou ended up with an unexpected 3-2 win for the Miners.
During the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League season, Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk were preparing for an exciting quarterfinal clash at Camp Nou. Barcelona, managed by Pep Guardiola, had world-class players such as Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Dani Alves, and Gerard Pique. Meanwhile, Shakhtar Donetsk, coached by Mircea Lucescu, relied on talented attackers such as Luiz Adriano, Douglas Costa, Jadson, Willian, and Eduardo. The match attracted attention because Barcelona were considered strong trophy contenders, while Shakhtar had impressed fans with their attacking football and victory over AS Roma in the previous round. Injuries to important Barcelona defenders Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal added another interesting element to the contest.
Football fans were eager to see the teams’ tactical formations, midfield control, counterattacks, defensive strategies, and goal-scoring opportunities. This historic fixture represented an important moment in European football during the 2011 Champions League campaign.
