Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rennes
UEFA Europa League
Date: 16 February 2023, Thursday
Kick-off at 17:45 UK / 18:45 CET
Venue: Stadion Miejski Legii Warszawa im. Marszalka Jozefa Pilsudskiego (Warsaw).
Shakhtar Donetsk will play their first competitive game since November as they take on Rennes in the UEFA Europa League playoffs (the last 32 round).
The team led by Croatian manager Igor Jovicevic finished their respective UEFA Champions League group in third place with six points from six clashes against Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, and Celtic.
The fact Shakhtar lost only two of six outings against such rivals speaks for itself. Nevertheless, the main problem for Jovicevic and his troops is the lack of competitive outings due to a long winter break in the elite class of Ukrainian football.
Speaking of the Ukrainian Premier League, Shakhtar Donetsk are second in the table after 13 rounds with 9 wins, 3 draws, and 1 defeat in the process. The lone defeat came at the hands of leaders Dnipro-1 who are five points adrift at the top of the standings.
Rennes, on the other side, dropped to sixth place in the Ligue 1 ladder after losing three of the previous four league matches.
The most recent failure came on Sunday afternoon when they lost 3-1 away at Toulouse. Rennes have thus conceded three goals in each of the previous two league losses.
Also, Les Rouges et Noirs lost each of the previous four away fixtures in Ligue 1, conceding at least two goals in each of the defeats. It is by no means an impressive run if we know they have faced the likes of Reims, Clermont, Lorient, and Toulouse along the way.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rennes Head-to-head
- These two outfits have met each other just once in the past.
- It was in the 2005/06 Europa League group stage when Shakhtar Donetsk celebrated a 0-1 victory in France.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rennes Prediction
We know Shakhtar have not been in action for a while but Rennes have been dreadful of late, especially defensively and especially on travels. This match is played on the neutral venue in Poland but we still can’t look past Shakhtar’s win at the 3.30 odds.
You can back Shakhtar Donetsk to win & Over 2.5 goals FT bet at the 5.50 odds, while we will also go with the 2-1 correct score pick at the sky-high 12.00 odds.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Rennes Betting Tips
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Shakhtar Donetsk to win & Over 2.5 goals FT @ 5.50 (9/2)
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Correct Score: Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 @ 12.00 (11/1) odd.
