Bologna vs Shakhatr Donetsk Match Analysis & Prediction
18/09/2024 7:45 pm
Back at UEFA’s top club competition after a six-decade wait, Bologna host Shakhtar Donetsk at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on Wednesday, when they kick off their Champions League campaign.
Now embarking on just their second season in UEFA’s top club competition, Bologna last featured at this level during their mid-60s heyday, when losing through a coin-toss to Anderlecht in the 1964 preliminary round.
Much has changed since then, and the Emilin side will this week become one of five teams to make their Champions League debut in the competition’s newly-expanded format for 2024-25.
Having inspired an unheralded side to fifth position in the final standings, Thiago Motta accepted an offer from Juventus, so former Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Italiano – beaten in both of the last two Europa Conference League finals – was brought in.
However, Italiano is still awaiting his first competitive win, having overseen disappointing home draws either side of a 3-0 defeat to Napoli, then Bologna had to come from two goals down to rescue a point against promoted Como last weekend.
Bologna will now take their first step into any European competition since losing an Intertoto Cup tie against Fulham in 2002, and they will defend a proud record at Stadio Dall’Ara, where they have never lost in Europe, winning 15 of 23 matches to date.
While Bologna are Champions League rookies, Shakhtar Donetsk reached the quarter-finals as recently as 2011 and have featured in all but one of the last 15 years.
Shakhtar only missed out on the knockout stages last season due to a crucial defeat at Porto on the final matchday, but they have now been eliminated in the group stage for six seasons in a row.
Under Croatian head coach Marino Pusic, Shakhtar secured a 15th Ukrainian Premier League title by finishing two points clear of old rivals Dynamo Kyiv, before going on to lft the cup and complete their ninth domestic double.
However, they have lost twice already this season, having suffered just three defeats throughout all of the last campaign. An Artem Bondarenko hat-trick helped them to a 5-2 home victory over Karpaty Lviv at the weekend, but they only sit sixth after five matches.
Already estranged from their home city by war, Shakhtar must now try to pick up points on the road – they have won just twice in their last 11 Champions League away matches before heading to Italy, where they have lost 10 of 15 previous encounters with Serie A sides.
Bologna vs. Shakhatr Donetsk Head to head
This will be the first meeting between these two teams.
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18/09/2024BolognaN/AShakhtar DonetskN/AChampions League
Bologna Team News
Bologna’s injury woes have started to clear, just ahead of their European comeback, as defensive duo Emil Holm and Martin Erlic joined Swiss winger Dan Ndoye on the bench in Como.
However, Oussama El Azzouzi and Nicolo Cambiaghi suffered serious knee injuries last month and are out for the long term.
Bologna's Last 5 Matches
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10/08/2024Mallorca1Bologna1 PClub Friendlies
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18/08/2024Bologna1Udinese1Serie A
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25/08/2024Napoli3Bologna0Serie A
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31/08/2024Bologna1Empoli1Serie A
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14/09/2024Como2Bologna2Serie A
Shakhatr Donetsk Team News
Shakhtar Donetsk striker Danylo Sikan registered a tally of four goals from six matches in last season’s Champions League and is now his club’s joint top-scorer this campaign on three goals.
Recently on the scoresheet for Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League, Georgiy Sudakov created the most chances (10) and completed the most passes (229) of any Shakhtar player during last year’s group stage.
Shakhatr Donetsk's Last 5 Matches
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04/08/2024Vorskla0Shakhtar Donetsk5Premier League
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11/08/2024Shakhtar Donetsk0Polissya1Premier League
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18/08/2024Livyi Bereh0Shakhtar Donetsk1Premier League
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24/08/2024Oleksandria4Shakhtar Donetsk3Premier League
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14/09/2024Shakhtar Donetsk5Karpaty Lviv2Premier League
Bologna vs. Shakhatr Donetsk: Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
Double Chance: Bologna or X
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