Shakhtar Donetsk vs Brest: betting odds January 22, 2025

The Matchday 7 clash in the 2024/25 Champions League group stage 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 Konoplya, Valeriy Bondar, Mykola Matviyenko, Alaa Ghram – Dmytro Kryskiv, Artem Bondarenko, Heorhiy Sudakov – Oleksandr Zubkov, Eginaldo, Danylo Sikan.

Brest (4-1-2-3): Marco Bizot – Luc Zohore, Abdulaye Ndiaye, Brendan Chardonnet, Kenny Lala – Edimilson Fernandes – Mahdi Camara, Hugo Magnetti – Kamory Doumbia, Ludovic Ajorque, Mama Baldé.

Shakhtar Donetsk

The Ukrainians enter the upcoming match after two consecutive defeats in the Champions League. They first lost away to PSV with a score of 2-3, and then at Gelsenkirchen to Bayern Munich (1-5). The Miners have only one victory over Young Boys (2-1) and a goalless draw with Bologna. With 4 points, Shakhtar is in 27th place in the standings, four points behind the playoff zone. The team needs to win the upcoming match to maintain their chances of advancing to the next round of the European competition. A draw will likely leave the club out of the top 24 in the group stage, especially given their significant negative goal difference (-8).

Defender Pedro Henrique Azevedo is suspended for this game.

• At least three goals have been scored in 9 of Shakhtar's last 13 games in this tournament.
• The Miners have not scored in the second half in their last six Champions League matches.

Brest

The French team's debut in this European competition has been incredibly successful. After six rounds, they are in seventh place, and a win in the upcoming match will guarantee them a spot in the playoffs. In the group stage, the club has only lost once – to Barcelona away with a score of 0-3. In the other tournament matches, Eric Roy's side secured 4 victories and drew with Bayer (1-1).

Defender Julien Le Cardinal will miss the match due to suspension. Midfielder Jonas Martin, along with defenders Jordan Amavi, Massadio Haidara, Bradley Locko, and Soumaila Coulibaly, are in the club's infirmary.

• The club's players have scored in 5 of their last 6 Champions League games.
• At least one goal has been scored in the first half of all six of Brest's matches in this European competition.
• The team has not won in 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 of their remaining matches to advance to the next round of the European competition. Beating the French team is possible despite their high position in the tournament. Eric Roy's side had a favorable schedule, and they only faced serious opponents like Bayer and Barcelona. The Ukrainian club is much more experienced than Brest and will be motivated for the upcoming game. I'm confident the players understand 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, including against much stronger opponents than the French. Additionally, Brest has only kept a clean sheet against PSV and Salzburg in the group stage. It's also worth noting that the French are in the bottom half of the Ligue 1 table and concede at a rate similar to the league's bottom three teams.

However, I also expect goals from the visitors, who have failed to score only against Barcelona in the current Champions League. The Ukrainians have conceded in 19 of their last 22 games in this tournament. Therefore, my prediction is: Both teams to score – yes