This article covers Shakhtar Donetsk vs FC Basel betting tips and predictions.
Also included is a thorough Shakhtar Donetsk vs FC Basel betting preview.
Note: All odds mentioned in this article are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Match: Shakhtar Donetsk vs FC Basel
Competition: UEFA Europa League
Date: August 11, 2020
Kick-off time: 8:00 pm, August 11, 2020 (UK time)
Stadium: Veltins-Arena
Shakhtar Donetsk face FC Basel at the Arena AufSchalke (or Veltins-Arena) on Tuesday for this UEFA Europa League Quarter Final match.
All remaining UEFA competition matches will be single-leg and played in neutral venues. Therefore, this match is being played at the Veltins-Arena, as it is commonly known due to sponsorship. It is the home of Schalke 04 from the Bundesliga.
Basel have failed to get the better of Shakhtar in any of the previous three meetings between the two clubs. They have a record of one draw and one defeat on Swiss soil. The only encounter in Ukraine back in 2008 saw Shakhtar inflict a 5-0 thrashing on Basel.
Shakhtar holds an impressive record of seven wins from eleven matches against Swiss opponents. However, there is a 50/50 split in advancing when facing Swiss sides in the knockout stages.
Basel’s have only faced a Ukrainian side other than Shakhtar once in European competition. They defeated Dnipro 3-1 on aggregate in the 2012/13 Europa League Round of 32.
Shakhtar are undefeated since their season restarted at the end of May. They have won ten out of their twelve matches, in all competitions. Therefore, it is no surprise to see the Ukrainian champions start the match as 10/11 favourites.
Basel have become the draw-experts as of late. Three of their last four matches have all ended in a stalemate. Their match against Frankfurt last week looked destined to finish 0-0 also before Fabian Frei scored two minutes from time. Odds of 5/2 are available if you see this game heading into extra time.
Basel have never defeated Shakhtar in competitive action. Their record against Ukrainian sides reads just one win in five. This makes them the underdogs here at 29/10.
Junior Moraes looked in lethal form against Wolfsburg. His brace included both the opening goal and final goal of the match. He now has three goals in four matches in the Europa League this campaign.
Taison is another threat for Shakhtar. He is yet to find the net in the Europa League this season but has ten goals and eight assists in the Ukrainian Premier League. The Brazilian is also the main penalty taker for his side and has converted four out of four from the spot.
Fabian Frei is the main dangerman for Basel. It was his goal just before full-time that gave the Swiss side a 1-0 victory over Frankfurt last week. Frei has fifteen goals and eight assists in all competitions this season. Five of his goals have come in the Europa League.
Tuesday’s match features the dominant forces of Ukrainian and Swiss football since the turn of the millennium.
Shakhtar have thirteen league titles since 2000, including the last four in a row. Meanwhile, Basel have won twelve league titles in the last twenty years, including eight in a row between 2009 and 2017. Despite this, they profile very differently to each other in the Europa League this campaign.
Donetsk joined in the knockout rounds, having dropped out of the Champions League after the group stages. In their four matches in the competition, they have plundered ten goals and conceded five.
Across the board, their matches have been the most exciting to watch, leading in average goals per match (3.75), expected goals per match (2.96) and non-shot expected goals (3.08). Essentially, their games see a lot of action in the highest valued areas of the pitch, a lot of shots from good scoring positions, and a lot of goals. Both for and against.
In terms of their percentage share of those numbers, they are among the lowest of teams left in the competition. In fact, only Copenhagen have worse ratios. This all suggests that Shakhtar will want the game to be open, full of chances, which they hope will mostly fall their way.
Basel are at the other end of the spectrum. They have conceded just four goals in ten games and come into this match looking for a sixth consecutive clean sheet. This would set a new record in the competition.
Unsurprisingly, their matches are on the low end in terms of excitement. However, they show a lot of control over their destiny, picking up an 83% share of the goals that are scored. Only Manchester United have a higher share of the group stage sides left in the competition.
Regardless of the victor here, unless a miracle happens for Copenhagen, the winner of this match will likely be the weakest of the remaining semi-finalists. They will go on to face one of arguably the two strongest sides remaining, in Inter Milan or Leverkusen.
Davit Khocholava’s red card mid-way through the second half on Wednesday evening means he will miss the match against Basel.
Vyacheslav Tankovskyi has a fractured and dislocated ankle and will take no part in the match.
Maksym Malyshev has yet to play for Shakhtar this season due to knee surgery. He will also be absent on Tuesday evening.
Vladyslav Vakula was unavailable for the match against Wolfsburg due to a shoulder injury. He is unlikely to take part against Basel.
Ismaily will also miss out due to cruciate ligament surgery. Mykola Matvyenko, who started at left-back against Wolfsburg, may need to move to center-back due to Khocholava’s suspension. Therefore, 21-year old Brazilian, Marquinhos Cipriano, could be promoted to first-choice left-back for the remainder of the competition.
Jonas Omlin, Basel’s first-choice goalkeeper, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Djordje Nikolic will continue to deputise between the sticks for Basel.
Luca Zuffi hasn’t featured for Basel since rupturing his cruciate ligament back in February. He has been ruled out for the remainder of this campaign.
Ramires, who replaced Zuffi in central midfield, has also been ruled out due to an unspecified injury. Therefore, Fabian Frei, Taulant Xhaka and Samuele Campo make up the midfield trio.
Basel have been very consistent in using a 4-2-3-1 shape in this competition. They also consistently name a very settled back seven, plus Stocker on the right-wing. The only real rotation tends to be in their #10, left-wing and striker positions. Ademi and Wolfswinkel could be rotated in to replace Cabral and Pululu.