Shakhtar Donetsk host Monaco in the second leg of the Champions League qualification final. The match will be played on Wednesday, August 25th at OSC Metalist (Kharkiv)
Shakhtar Donetsk started the Champions League qualification from the 3rd round, in which they defeated the Belgian Genk twice (1-2 and 2-1). On August 21 in Odesa, the Miners played the Ukrainian championship match against the local Chornomorets. The game ended with a convincing triumph for the visitors (thanks to goals by Georgy Sudakov, Alan Patrick, and Manor Solomon). Shakhtar's task was facilitated by the early sending-off in the lineup of the home team. In the 13th minute, Bohdan Biloshevskyi received a direct red card. Roberto De Zerbi gave the team leaders a break. Out of those who played in Monaco, only the central defender Mykola Matvienko appeared in the starting lineup for the match against Chornomorets. The rest were replaced by reservists.
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AS Monaco also started their performance in the Champions League from the 3rd qualifying round. At that stage, the Monegasques were stronger than the Czech Sparta (2-0 and 3-1). At the weekend, the Red and Whites failed the home match of Ligue 1 against Lens (0-2). The visitors took the lead in the 51st minute, and 10 minutes later they were left with ten men after Cheick Doucoure was sent off. The Monegasques did not take advantage of this opportunity. In added time, Lens finished off Monaco with another goal. So, the Red-Whites suffered their second consecutive defeat in the league and the third with the Champions League game taken into account. Compared to the match against Shakhtar, Kovac made fewer changes in the starting lineup.
Shakhtar Donets and Monaco crossed paths at the Stade Louis II in the Principality of Monaco on August 17. The victory in the game was won by the visitors who scored the only goal in the 19th minute thanks to Pedrinho's efforts. All attempts of the home team to upset Anatoly Trubin in the remaining 70 minutes were unsuccessful. And now the situation is not easy for AS Monaco. Kovac’s men need to win with a difference of one goal to take the game to extra time, and a more confident victory will guarantee them a place in the Champions League group. The Monegasques have lost three matches in a row, although the team's game cannot be called weak. The problems of the Red-Whites lie in the conversion of their chances. AS Monaco striker Wissam Ben Yedder has not scored a single goal in six games of the current season. If the attackers of the French team tweak the sight, they will be able to score against the Ukrainians, who have enough problems in defense. And we think that the visitors will do their best to break their unsuccessful streak.
Prediction for the match: Monaco to win with 0.0 handicap
