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Marseille - Shakhtar Donetsk
UEFA Europa League - Orange Velodrome
Marseille are set to face Shakhtar Donetsk in the second leg of their Europa League playoff tie on Thursday, 22 February. Check out our Marseille vs Shakhtar Donetsk prediction below.
Contents
Marseille vs Shakhtar Donetsk: A tie that hangs in the balance.
| ⚽Match result prediction | Marseille |
| ⚽ Total goals prediction | Over 2.5 |
| ⚽ Anytime goalscorer prediction | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang |
The first leg finished 2-2 which means both teams have a great chance of making it through to the next stage of the competition. Despite that, neither side is in great form so there isn't an obvious winner as Marseille have only won one of their last eight matches and Skakhtar have only won one of their last six matches.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Marseille are backed to win
- HOME: 7/10 (1.70) – 58.8%
- DRAW: 11/4 (3.75) – 26.7%
- AWAY: 18/5 (4.60) – 21.7%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
The Marseille vs Shakhtar Donetsk odds indicate that Marseille are the team the bookmakers expect to qualify for the Round of 16.
Marseille have had a season to forget domestically and they currently sit in 9th position in Ligue 1. Their entire season rests on how they perform in the Europa League so they will put everything into the match.
For Shakhtar Donetsk, their domestic season has been on a break for a few months so they did well to get a draw last week given their inevitable rustiness. Can they go one better to make it through to the round of 16?
Last five H2Hs: Bragging rights are at stake
UEFA Europa League 15/02/24
Shakhtar Donetsk
Marseille
Last week, Marseille and Shakhtar Donetsk played their first-ever match against each other and the spoils were shared in an entertaining game. The match was played on neutral ground in Germany due to the war in Ukraine which meant Shakhtar were effectively forced to give up their home advantage. Marseille will have the chance to capitalise on theirs on Thursday night.
Team news and form guide
Marseille: Their season is on the line on Thursday night
Marseille haven't won a football match since the 7th of January so they will need their passionate supporters to give them a hand on Thursday night. For this one, they are without Balerdi, Nadir, Rongier and Ruiz.
Predicted lineup: Blanco, Clauss, Mbemba, Gigot, Merlin, Ounahi, Kondogbia, Harit, Ndiaye, Moumbagna & Aubameyang
Shakhtar Donetsk: Missing players could prove to be costly
Shakhtar have a lot of rustiness in their squad as they have only played one competitive match in over two months. They are also missing some key players, including Gomes, Petryak, Chygrynskiy and Puzankov.
Predicted lineup: Riznyk, Konoplya, Rakitskyi, Matvienko, Azarovi, Bondar, Stepanenko, Sudakov, Zubkov, Sikan & Eguinaldo
Our free expert picks: Marseille to win and Aubameyang to score
Our Marseille vs Shakhtar Donetsk betting tips suggest that the home side will prevail here but it won't be straightforward. For more free betting tips, there are some other markets that you should consider. The correct score market is one to look at Marseille 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk at 13/2 (7.5) looks like good value.
Hot tip – Over 2.5 goals
- Shakhtar Donetsk's final three games have seen more than 2.5 goals scored.
- The two teams played out a 2-2 draw last week in the first leg.
Other tips
Marseille to win
- Marseille are unbeaten at home in the Europa League this season (two wins, one draw).
- Marseille will have more match fitness and sharpness than Shakhtar due to the two-month break the away side have been on.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to score anytime
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is Marseille's top scorer this season with 12 goals.
- Aubameyang has scored six goals in the Europa League already this season.
Player to watch: Jonathan Clauss
Clauss has been a rare positive for Marseille this season with the right-back becoming the club's most likely player to create goalscoring opportunities for teammates.
Can Clauss make it eight assists for the season?
Alongside Aubameyang, Clauss has the most assists for Marseille this season with seven in all competitions. The right-back is more creative than the Aubameyang, however, and is averaging 1.32 chances created per match in all competitions.
