Shakhtar Donetsk take on the visitors AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of UEFA Conference League quarterfinals. The match will be played on Thursday, April 9th at Synerise Arena - Stadion Miejski im. Henryka Reymana (Kraków).
Shakhtar Donetsk finished last season by winning the domestic cup, but that was only a small consolation after dropping to third place in the Ukrainian Premier League — for the first time in more than two decades. Naturally, this was not enough to save Marino Pusic, who was replaced by Arda Turan. However, problems have continued under the new coach. There was an early exit from the national cup, a difficult league campaign where they only overtook LNZ Cherkasy in spring, and disappointment in the Europa League, where after eliminating Ilves and even Beşiktaş J.K., they failed to score against Panathinaikos F.C. and lost on penalties after two 0-0 draws. There were also issues in the current competition, including a difficult tie with Servette FC in qualifying. In the playoffs, after a solid main round, they again created problems for themselves — following a 3-1 away win over Lech Poznań, they conceded twice in the nominal home match and were saved only by an own goal from the opponent. Their recent form shows instability, especially in defensive phases. At the same time, Shakhtar remain dangerous in attack and capable of decisive moments.
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AZ look fairly modest. The “Cheese Farmers” have not seriously challenged the traditional top three in the Netherlands for quite some time. Last season, they finished only fifth, and this year they may not even match that result — there is a risk of dropping as low as ninth and missing out on the playoff zone altogether. Their Conference League campaign has also been inconsistent, starting with a loss to modest Ilves, followed by away defeats to AEK Larnaca FC and Crystal Palace F.C., as well as a 0-0 draw at home with Jagiellonia Białystok. Even in the playoffs, they began with a 0-1 loss in Armenia, but then responded strongly, beating FC Noah 4-0 and defeating the more experienced AC Sparta Prague twice. Their recent results show inconsistency, especially in away matches. However, when in form, AZ can deliver convincing performances against strong opponents.
The teams previously met in European playoffs in 2005, when the Dutch side won both matches. In 2023, Shakhtar drew 3-3 with them, although that was only a friendly in the summer preseason. More trust is placed in the nominal hosts. However, a safer option here seems to be total over 2.5 goals.
Prediction for the match: Over 2.5 scored goals.
