Shakhtar Donetsk hosts Maccabi Tel Aviv in the second leg of the Europa League 1/16 finals. The match will be played on Thursday, February 25th at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium (Kyiv)
The Ukrainian grandee had a good autumn part of the season in the Champions League, where it managed to beat Real Madrid twice and gained two draws in matches with Inter. In the Europa League, the Miners are faced with the task of not just advancing to the next stage but fighting for the trophy. Beyond that, Shakhtar Donetsk got into an interesting situation in the Ukrainian Premier League, where Dynamo Kyiv has a 1-point margin. In the current season, Shakhtar has undergone a sharp change in the vector based on trust in young blood. Such players as Vitao, Trubin, Solomon, Marcos Antonio, Kornienko, Bondar, and Maicon made their way to the starting lineup. The time of such stars as Marlos, Moraes, Taison, and Pyatov is gradually passing.
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The Israeli champion managed to make its way to the playoffs of the Europa League after showing quality football at the group stage. In the return game, Van Leeuwen’s charges need to create a sensation and beat Shakhtar in Kyiv with a 3-goal lead. However, the staff potential and quality of the squad do not speak in favor of miracles from Maccabi. Such performers as Cohen, Pesic, Ben Haim, Biton, and Golasa are considered to be the leading players on the Israeli team. We are unlikely to see these guys in the top championships since their level does not allow them to claim the status of star performers.
We will see the confrontation between two teams of different levels, each of which has its own ambitions in European Cups. For Maccabi, the very fact of reaching the Europa League playoffs, where Israeli clubs are rare guests, is pleasant. Castro's charges are aiming to be the winners of the Europa League, but in reality, Shakhtar will be pleased with reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament. We think that the hosts will manage to win in the second leg either.
Prediction for the match: Shakhtar Donetsk to win
