Manchester City should shake 28-1 shots Shakhtar

Group F
BT Sport 3, 8pm Wednesday

Does anyone seriously think Shakhtar Donetsk can derail Pep Guardiola’s super-slick Manchester City winning machine?

At odds of 28-1 bookmakers aren’t giving the Ukrainian champions a prayer just two weeks after City clubbed them 3-0 in Kharkiv to jump to the top of Group F.

City will qualify for the last 16 if they win on Wednesday and Hoffenheim lose in Lyon. And to have qualified after four rounds of matches, having lost their first one against the French side, would represent a real bonus for Guardiola as he juggles his squad over a hectic autumn schedule.

Video footage of City thrashing Southampton 6-1 on Sunday will doubtless have provoked collective gulps on the Shakhtar training ground, but there is no guarantee that they will endure the mauling many are predicting.

It’s true that City have now put six past a sorry Saints side and Huddersfield, as well as also firing five past both Cardiff and Burnley. But those are four members of the top-flight’s bottom six and Shakhtar are better than the lot of them.

The Ukrainians will also come with a gameplan to stay solid because, even if Lyon dot up, Paulo Fonseca’s side are very much in the scrap for third spot and the Europa League safety net.

City should win but take them to do so in a game featuring three goals or less. There’s a perception that City are thrashing all-comers, yet those four Premier League massacres are the only four of 17 matches that City have played in this term which have yielded more than three goals.

Obviously Guardiola is overwhelmed with attacking riches but Kevin De Bruyne, the pick of the lot, is injured and the City boss needs to keep an eye on the health and wellbeing of others with Sunday’s Manchester derby looming large.

Shakhtar have a shocking record in England where they’ve lost on six of their previous seven visits.

Their only defeat in 15 this term was the reverse against City a fortnight ago but the Ukrainian Premier League isn’t the strongest. The fact they are without a win in their last four Champions League ties and have only found the net in two of their last nine away games in the competition is much more insightful.

Seven of those matches ended in defeats to nil and City would fancy making that eight at the Etihad - they have not conceded from open play in their last six matches.

Recommendation
Manchester City & under 3.5 goals
1pt 11-8 Betway, BoyleSports

Bet on this game at Soccerbase.com

Team news
Manchester City
Kevin De Bruyne has been ruled out for up to six weeks. Ilkay Gundogan is fit after a hamstring problem.

Shakhtar
Wideman Marlos has trained after a recent injury. Defender Ivan Ordets has yet to play this season.

Key stat
Each of Manchester City’s last six Champions League ties has produced exactly three goals.

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