Shakhtar Donetsk will host Brest in Gelsenkirchen in the next Champions League round on Wednesday, 22 January.
Will the hosts get a win that will keep them in pursuit of the next stage or will Brest crush those hopes? Find out from our Shakhtar Donetsk vs Brest prediction and preview below.
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Shakhtar Donetsk vs Brest prediction: Guests to emerge victorious
Key stats
- Shakhtar haven't played a competitive game since 15th December and they have lost their last two games they've played.
- Both teams have scored in five of the last six competitive games played by Shakhtar Donetsk.
- We saw both teams score in six of the last nine matches played by Brest in all competitions.
Correct score prediction: Shakhtar Donetsk 1-2 Brest
With Brest in great form and Shakhtar playing their home matches in Germany, which takes their home court advantage away, we can see the French team getting all three points from this game, although it should be very close, with goals on both sides.
Pre-game odds and win probability: No clear favourites in this match
- HOME: 13/8 (2.63) – 38.10%
- DRAW: 23/10 (3.30) – 30.30%
- AWAY: 8/5 (2.60) – 38.50%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
Looking at these Shakhtar Donetsk vs Brest odds, we can see that the bookies expect a very close contest and that the guests are the expected winners by the slimmest of margins.
In any case, be sure to look at our football betting tips page for more predictions this weekend!
Most recent H2Hs: First time to meet
These two teams haven't met each other before. Furthermore, Brest have never played a team from Ukraine before either. However, Shakhtar Donetsk have met with French teams many times and they have a record of nine wins, six draws, and six losses.
Shakhtar Donetsk preview: Trying to stay in the race
With four points from six Champions League matches, Shakhtar Donetsk are in a difficult spot when it comes to making it to the knockout stages. At the moment, they are four points behind Dinamo Zagreb, who are 24th in the standings, the last place that guarantees the next stage and with two games left to go, Shakhtar would have to win both of their matches to even have a chance to qualify.
Since Shakhtar have been on a break for more than a month, having only played a few friendly matches, they are seemingly in top shape and have no injuries to worry about.
Predicted lineup: Riznyk (GK), Konoplya, Bondar, Matviienko, Pedro Henrique, Marlon Gomes, Bondarenko, Sudakov, Zubkov, Sikan & Kevin
UEFA Champions League 29/01/25
L
Borussia Dortmund
3
Shakhtar Donetsk
1
UEFA Champions League 22/01/25
W
Brest
0
Shakhtar Donetsk
2
Club Friendly List 15/01/25
W
Ludogorets Razgrad
0
Shakhtar Donetsk
4
Club Friendly List 15/01/25
W
CSKA Sofia
0
Shakhtar Donetsk
1
Club Friendly List 09/01/25
D
Dinamo Zagreb
2
Shakhtar Donetsk
2
Brest preview: Close to securing their place in the knockouts
With four wins, one draw, and one loss in six games in the Champions League, Brest are currently 7th in the standings, which would take them directly to the Round of 16. So, a win against Shakhtar would put them one step closer to this goal and considering the team's recent form with six win in their last seven games, Brest fans have every reason to hope for a win in this match.
That being said, Brest are dealing with a lot of injuries at the moment, with Jordan Amavi, Massadio Haidara, Soumaila Coulibaly, Jonas Martin, Karamoko Dembele, Bradley Locko, and Julien Le Cardinal all out for this match.
Predicted lineup: Bizot (GK), Lala, Chardonnet, Ndiaye, Fernandes, Del Castillo, Camara, Magnetti, Doumbia, Ajorque & Sima
UEFA Champions League 11/02/25
L
PSG
3
Brest
0
France Ligue 1 07/02/25
W
Nantes
0
Brest
2
France Cup 04/02/25
W
Troyes
1
Brest
2
France Ligue 1 01/02/25
L
PSG
5
Brest
2
UEFA Champions League 29/01/25
L
Real Madrid
3
Brest
0
Player to watch: Abdallah Sima
With three goals in the Champions League so far, the 23-year-old forward has been the top scorer for Brest in Europe and he will be the biggest threat to Shakhtar in this match. Sima has seven goals and two assists in all competitions this season.
