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Shakhtar v Atalanta
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Kick Off: Wednesday 2nd October at 17:45
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Competition: Champions League
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Watch Live: TNT Sports 3
The VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen is gearing up to host what promises to be a gripping Champions League Group Stage clash between Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk and Italian side Atalanta on Wednesday evening.
⭐ Shakhtar v Atalanta Best Bets
Shakhtar Donetsk pocketed a point on UCL matchday one against Bologna (0-0), though they were second best for the majority of the stalemate, and were outperformed for shots (17-3), corners (8-3) and xGF (1.2 – 0.90) by their Italian opponents, while keeper Dmytro Riznyk was forced into action four times.
The Ukrainians are unlikely to be as fortunate against last season’s Europa League winners Atalanta, who matched Premier League giants Arsenal (0-0) in their UCL opener last month. There was plenty to like about La Dea’s performance against the Gunners and Gian Piero Gasperini’s impressive outfit might have won had they not missed a second-half penalty. We’re backing them at an attractive price to go one better here, however.
🔎 Shakhtar v Atalanta Players to Watch
🟠 Artem Bondarenko
Holding midfielder Artem Bondarenko made two tackles and committed two fouls in Shakhtar Donetsk’s matchday one draw with Bologna last month and the 24-year-old’s steely qualities are likely to be a feature of Wednesday’s tussle with Atalanta.
Bondarenko isn’t a high-volume passer; indeed, he attempted just 36 passes against Bologna and he generally leaves distribution duties to his midfield foil, Dmytro Kryskiv. However, Bondarenko comes into his own when Shakhtar are out of possession and he is generously priced to commit at least two fouls again here.
🔵 Ademola Lookman
Ademola Lookman was the star of Atalanta’s Europa League winning surge last season, netting a sensational hattrick in the final against Bayer Leverkusen while averaging 3.14 shots and 1.13 shots on target 90 minutes across the competition as a whole.
The 26-year-old, who has been averaging 1.25 shots on target p/90 in Serie A since the summer, generally relishes his opportunities to shine on a continental stage and though he failed to make much of an impact against Arsenal on matchday one, we’re tipping the winger to be more heavily involved against Shakhtar.
🔵 Ederson
On matchday one against Arsenal, ground duel specialist Ederson was fouled more often (four) than any other player involved and Ederson is unlikely to come through Wednesday’s test against Shakhtar unscathed, especially with the aforementioned Bondarenko on patrol.
Ederson has been committing 1.72 and drawing 1.38 fouls per 90 in Serie A this season, while he was fouled another three times in Atalanta’s Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid in August. With a solid track record in his market, Ederson offers superb value to be fouled at least twice again here.
🗂️ Shakhtar v Atalanta Cheat Sheet
The second week of the Champions League is littered with action and our signature football betting predictions are on hand to help. Make sure to check out our Champions League accumulator tips and Champions League bet builder tips to help you back a winner for the first week of the Champions League.
Not only that, but we also have a selection of both teams to score tips, along with player prop market predictions to fold into bet builders, like our card betting tips, player shots on target tips, fouls betting tips, and anytime goalscorer tips.
If you enjoy this revamped betting preview, be sure to check out our bet builder stats tool, the best freely available data source for punting on football, available for all Champions League fixtures this week.
💻 Shakhtar v Atalanta Form & Tactics
Shakhtar failed to win four of their first eight competitive tests of the new campaign and their patchiness was evident again at the weekend when they were held by an ordinary Veres Rivne side in the Ukrainian Premier League (1-1).
Detailed statistical breakdowns from that division are tough to find, though Shakhtar’s 0-0 draw with Bologna taught us plenty.
Marino Pusic’s side, who were deployed in a 4-2-3-1 formation on that occasion controlled 52% possession against the Italians but struggled in the creativity department, touching the ball just 13 times in the Bologna box and failing to land a single shot on target.
Atalanta, who have been averaging 1.80 in xGF and 14.50 shots per game in all competitions this season, look better equipped to manufacture chances than Donetsk, despite their disappointing run of one win in six attempts.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s unorthodox 3-4-2-1 formation tends to cause problems for most of La Dea’s opponents and their three-man defence can be difficult to breach. Atalanta conceded six or fewer shots in two of their last three matches (vs Arsenal – 6 & Bologna – 5).
Atalanta’s first eight fixtures of the campaign averaged a notable 26.75 fouls and 4.00 cards per game, so don’t be surprised if the flow of Wednesday’s contest is interrupted by numerous robust challenges and tackles.
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🏁 Shakhtar v Atalanta Ref Watch
- Portuguese official João Pedro Pinheiro has taken charge of four league fixtures in his homeland this season. Those games averaged 5.00 cards and 26.25 fouls per contest.
- Pinheiro was in charge of seven European matches last term across three competitions and those games averaged 4.42 cards and 23.85 fouls.
- When Pinheiro last officiated over a fixture that featured a Ukrainian team (Dinamo Kiev vs Besiktas, Aug 2023), he brandished nine cards.
Football Predictions at Andy’s Bet Club
Everyone should take their time to find their own approach, but our guide on how to use a Cheat Sheet is a great place to start if you’re unsure how to make the most of them.
We aim to help all our readers bet smarter, and our guides to the best betting sites for accumulators and the top bet builder sites, along with our collections of Champions League free bet and sign up offers, free bet offers and weekly free bet clubs, are perfect starting points to ensure your money goes further when betting with the best UK sports betting sites.
Our experts have also put together helpful guides, such as this one on xG in football, all aimed at giving you the skills and knowledge to level up your punting game.
* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
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