Since the turn of the century, Shakhtar Donetsk have dominated Ukrainian soccer. They have won 10 of the last 16 Ukrainian Premier League titles and usurped Dynamo Kiev as the club to beat.
However, European success has largely eluded them. They have only made it to the Champions League Quarterfinals once in their history and were roundly thumped by Barcelona when they got there.
They are looking to make it back to the Quarterfinals and have a very favorable omen. The team they beat in the Round of 16 to get there last time, AS Roma, is the team they need to top once again.
Don't miss the Champions League action from Stadio Olimpico at 3:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 13, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on FS2.
Champions League Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Shakhtar Donetsk +400
AS Roma -156
Draw +313
Over/Under 2.5, Over -156
Odds Analysis
AS Roma is a sizeable favorite coming into this one as the side has played well at home for most of the year. However, they were surprisingly knocked off at home by AC Milan in their last game at the Olimpico. The responded with a gutty 4-2 win on the road over Napoli last week, where Edin Dzeko finally ended his goal-scoring drought with a brace.
Shakhtar Donetsk has been happy to shake off the rust after a long winter. The Ukrainian Premier League takes a two month winter break in the middle of the season, but the club was able to stay fresh with friendlies against other teams from cold weather regions. They have hammered three straight UPL opponents since being back in action.
Last Meeting
In the first meeting between these two sides, the field titled in the favor of AS Roma in the first half. Shakhtar looked like a team that hadn’t played a competitive match in quite some time and was unable to keep up with Roma’s pace. The Italian side got a well-deserved goal when Cengiz Under connected on a Edin Dzego pass and went into halftime up 1-0.
Shakhtar responded beautifully in the second half though. The team upped the tempo and left Roma unable to respond adequately. Facundo Ferreyra scored the first goal shortly after the second half got underway and Fred scored on a beautiful free kick to put the hosts ahead 2-1. They had a few more chances to extend the lead, but Roma goalie Alisson came up big to keep the score line manageable for the return leg.
Injuries to Watch
Coming into this match, AS Roma is healthy. The only concern was whether or not Daniele De Rossi would play after his good friend Davide Astori died suddenly Sunday morning, but he has decided to play and dedicate his performance to Astori. De Rossi is one of the top defensive midfielders in Italy and having him will be a boon.
Shakhtar looks like it will be without central defenseman Sergiy Kryvstov, as he continues to deal with ankle injuries. Additionally, right back Darijo Srna is still sidelined because of a doping ban, exposing this club’s back line.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
This could be the highest scoring game of the week. Both sides were able to get off more than dozen shots in the first meeting and neither has the defense to lay back and play conservatively.
With that in mind, over is a great play. Instead of the heavy juice though, go ahead and take the over 2.5 and 3 option are just three.
As for a side, I expect AS Roma to get the victory, but Shakhtar Donetsk will end up moving on to the quarterfinals due to the away goals rule. This will be a very entertaining match for the casual observer.
Champions League Odds: AS Roma 3, Shakhtar Donetsk 2
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