Neither club can look back on the start of the season with much satisfaction. While Shakhtar Donetsk have moved up to mid-table in the Ukrainian Premier League, Bologna are languishing at the bottom of Serie A.
Bologna are just one point away from the relegation zone. This unenviable position stems from three draws against teams that typically reside in the lower half of the table and a heavy defeat (0:3) to Napoli. The main point of concern for Bologna is their dreary finishing. For example, in the first round where they let a victory slip against Udinese Calcio (1:1), their 1 goal came from 3.25 xG and 22 (7) shots, while their opponents had a paltry 4 (2) shots and exactly 0.99 xG. Their most eventful match was against Como 1970 (2:2), where they scored both goals only after trailing (0:2). Bologna’s tough start was predictable, given that they lost their coach, Thiago Motta, one of the best central defenders in Serie A, Riccardo Calafiori, the top scorer of last season, Joshua Zirkzee. In addition, their attacking midfielder Lewis Ferguson will be out for a long time due to a cruciate ligament surgery.
Shakhtar have largely remained unchanged over the summer. In recent seasons, the Ukrainian champions’ squad has been depleted. Of their few valuable assets, the main one is 22-year-old homegrown player Georgiy Sudakov, who operates in the midfield. The Ukrainian international was linked with top clubs in Spain, Italy, and England this summer but stayed with his home club for now, likely only until the upcoming winter transfer window. Another key player is defender Mykola Matviyenko, who has already scored twice this season. In their most recent match, where the team thrashed Karpaty Lviv (5:2), Artem Bondarenko netted a hat-trick. Though not a roster full of stars, the remaining talents can still achieve results.
Bookmakers favour a Bologna victory, but we believe they can score (possibly more than one goal) and avoid defeat. Shakhtar Donetsk have reliable goal-scoring options, and they have historically taken the Champions League more seriously than their domestic league.
