Matchday 6 of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League group stage between Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) and Bayern Munich (Germany) will take place on December 10 at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Bayern Munich: prediction, betting odds, and statistics.
Referee: Halil Umut Meler (Turkey)
Matches – 12 (International matches, 2023/24–2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 55;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.6;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 20;
Penalties – 42%.
Predicted lineups for Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Bayern Munich
Shakhtar Donetsk (4-3-3): Dmytro Riznyk – Yukhym Konoplya, Valerii Bondar, Mykola Matviyenko, Alaa Ghram – Dmytro Kryskiv, Artem Bondarenko, Heorhiy Sudakov – Oleksandr Zubkov, Eginaldo, Danylo Sikan.
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer – Sacha Boey, Kim Min-jae, Dayot Upamecano, Konrad Laimer – Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich – Mathys Tel, Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane – Thomas Muller.
Shakhtar Donetsk
The Ukrainians nearly defeated PSV away in the last round. After scoring in the first half, the team led 2-0 until the 87th minute, but then conceded three goals, resulting in their third defeat in the group stage (2-3). Shakhtar has a win over Young Boys (2-1) and a draw with Bologna (0-0). With 4 points, the Miners are in 26th place, two points behind 24th.
Defender Pedro Henrique Azevedo is suspended for this match.
- The club has not won in 5 of their last 6 matches in this European competition (1 draw and 4 losses).
- A maximum of three goals were scored in 7 of Shakhtar's last 9 Champions League matches.
- The Ukrainians have not scored in the second half in their last five Champions League games.
Bayern Munich
The Bavarians played their last two matches at home in this tournament, defeating Benfica and PSG with identical 1-0 scores. Before that, they played twice away, losing to Aston Villa (0-1) and Barcelona (1-4). Bayern started with a resounding victory over Dinamo Zagreb (9-2). With 9 points, the Germans are in 13th place, just one point away from the top 8.
Defender Alphonso Davies, midfielder Kingsley Coman, and forward Harry Kane are out due to injuries.
- No more than three goals were scored in 10 of Bayern's last 14 Champions League matches.
- The team has not lost in 14 of their last 18 matches in this European competition (10 wins and 4 draws).
- A maximum of 1 goal was scored in the first half in 6 of the last 8 games for the Munich side in this tournament.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Bayern Munich: Match Prediction
It is unlikely that the Miners will earn points in the upcoming match. Nevertheless, the Ukrainians can hold a solid positive handicap. In their last 11 Champions League matches, Shakhtar has only lost by a three-goal margin once, avoiding heavy defeats in the other ten games.
Bayern needs a victory to finish in the top eight. I do not expect the club to thrash their opponent, as the Germans have not been consistent in the Champions League recently. In their last nine matches in this tournament, the Munich side has only won by more than one goal once. Additionally, the club has not achieved a large-margin victory away in this European competition for 10 matches.
My prediction – Shakhtar Donetsk with a handicap (+2.5)