The Matchday 7 clash in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League between Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) and Brest (France) will take place on January 22 at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Brest: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland)
Matches – 7 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 23;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.3;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 14%.
Predicted lineups for Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Brest
Shakhtar Donetsk (4-3-3): Dmytro Riznyk – Yukhym Konoplia, Valerii Bondar, Mykola Matviyenko, Alaa Gram – Dmytro Kryskiv, Artem Bondarenko, Heorhiy Sudakov – Oleksandr Zubkov, Eginaldo, Kevin.
Brest (4-3-3): Marco Bizot – Mathias Pereira Lage, Abdulaye Ndiaye, Brendan Chardonnet, Kenny Lala – Edimilson Fernandes, Mahdi Camara, Hugo Magnetti – Kamory Doumbia, Ludovic Ajorque, Abdallah Sima.
Shakhtar Donetsk
The Ukrainians come into this match following two consecutive Champions League defeats. They lost 2-3 away to PSV and then suffered a 1-5 defeat to Bayern in Gelsenkirchen. Shakhtar's only victory came against Young Boys (2-1), alongside a goalless draw with Bologna. With just 4 points, they are in 27th place in the standings, four points shy of the playoff zone. The team must win the upcoming match to keep their hopes of advancing to the next round alive. A draw would likely see them miss out on the top 24, given their significant negative goal difference (-8).
Defender Pedro Henrique Azevedo is suspended. Forward Danilo Sikan is in the process of transferring to another club.
- At least three goals have been scored in 9 of Shakhtar's last 13 matches in this tournament.
- The team has failed to score in the second half of their last six Champions League matches.
Brest
The French side has had an incredibly successful debut in this European competition. After six rounds, they are in seventh place, and a win in the upcoming match would secure them a playoff spot. During the group stage, the club has lost only once – to Barcelona on their turf (0-3). In other matches, Eric Roy's team secured 4 wins and a draw with Bayer (1-1).
Defender Julien Le Cardinal will miss the match due to suspension. Midfielder Jonas Martin and defenders Jordan Amavi, Massadio Haidara, and Bradley Locko are all sidelined with injuries.
- The team has scored in 5 of their last 6 Champions League matches.
- At least one goal has been scored in the first half of all six of Brest's matches in this competition.
- The team has not won the second half in their last four Champions League matches (3 draws and 1 loss).
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Brest: Match Prediction
The nominal hosts have no choice but to win both remaining matches to advance to the next round of the competition. Beating the French side is feasible, despite their high position in the tournament. Eric Roy's team had a favorable schedule, facing only Bayer and Barcelona as serious opponents. The Ukrainian club is much more experienced than Brest and will be ready for the upcoming game. The players know that to secure three points, they need to attack from the first minute and try to score as many goals as possible.
Shakhtar has scored in 15 of their last 19 Champions League matches, often against stronger opponents than the French. Brest, on the other hand, has only kept a clean sheet against PSV and Salzburg in the group stage. It's also worth noting that the French side is in the lower half of the Ligue 1 table, conceding goals at a rate comparable to the bottom three teams in the league.
I also expect goals from the visitors, who have failed to score only against Barcelona in this Champions League. The Ukrainians have conceded in 19 of their last 22 matches in this tournament. Therefore, my prediction is: Both teams to score – yes
