Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Champions League match.
Harry Kane's injury has dealt a significant blow to Bayern Munich's attacking potential, yet they don't need to exert full strength against Shakhtar Donetsk in the upcoming UCL fixture. The Munich side will travel to Gelsenkirchen with numerous absentees in their squad. A narrow victory over the underdog will suffice for them to edge closer to the top eight.
Shakhtar Donetsk
In their away match against PSV Eindhoven (2:3), Shakhtar started with an impeccable spell in the first half, scoring unanswered goals through Danylo Sikan and Oleksandr Zubkov, only to falter after the break. The side from Eindhoven inflicted 2.78 xGA on Shakhtar with 18 shots on target, to which they replied with only three shots on goal. For the match against Bayern Munich, the team is missing a key player, Pedro Henrique (red card), which forces them to reshuffle their defence with reserves.
Bayern Munich
Since the start of November, Bayern Munich have only seen more than four goals in one of their seven games. Against Paris Saint-Germain (1:0), the team secured victory with a single accurate shot from Kim Min-jae before the break, while Ousmane Dembélé's sending-off didn't help the Munich side increase their attacking presence against the Parisians, who registered 0.77 xGA and three shots on target. In two away legs in the UCL, Bayern Munich have scored just one goal — they are yet to claim a victory.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich Prediction
Shakhtar Donetsk may find fortune against Bayern Munich, yet the Munich side are serious about the forthcoming leg. Even without Harry Kane, they should secure the points, albeit in a modest fashion.
