22nd Oct 2012 | Football
Shakhtar Donetsk v Chelsea
Both these sides look pretty unbeatable these days so a point apiece may be the inevitable outcome.
If you reside in Britain it’s easy to start thinking that Chelsea are almost unstoppable these days. Seven wins and a draw from their opening eight Premier League matches now includes away glory at Arsenal and Tottenham.
However, if you lived in Ukraine then you would think that Shakhtar Donetsk are an unbeatable machine capable of defeating all-comers. They have won their first 12 games of the domestic season and their last 21 league matches overall, without so much as a draw.
Obviously we know that the Ukranian league lacks a depth of quality, but Shakhtar’s credentials have also been illustrated in the biggest European competitions. Mircea Lucescu guided his side to UEFA Cup success in 2009 and to the Champions League quarter-finals last season.
Shakhtar have so far matched Chelsea’s results in Group E by beating Nordsjaelland and drawing with mighty Juventus; 1-1 in Turin was particularly impressive with the visitors unfortunate not to take all three points.
Even with the reigning European champions on imperious form, I think home advantage will ensure that the Ukranians can share the spoils with Chelsea on Tuesday. The 1-1 draw looks good value at a best price of 6/1 with WilliamHill.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 19:21 22nd Oct, 2012 but subject to change
