Shakhtar Donetsk is slightly overpriced by the bookmakers to win against Rennes. The home team is in much better form than Rennes who are experiencing a lot of troubles lately. Real Madrid had to dig very deep for a point a few months ago at this venue. Shakhtar Donetsk would be going for all three points here and a bet on the home team to win or draw is the best available option in this fixture.
Rennes travels to the Stadion Miejski Legii Warszawa on Thursday where they face Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 32.
Shakhtar Donetsk beat Celtic to finish third in the UEFA Champions League Group F, earning them a spot in the Europa League playoffs. They are second in the league with only one league loss throughout the season. Shakhtar Donetsk's last competitive game was a 3-2 win against Vorskia last year in November and they are well rested for this clash. Their fitness is also optimal with the club organising friendly competitions.
Rennes would've hoped for a better time to play the knockout game against Shakhtar Donetsk. The first two months of the year have been very poor for the French team as they have lost more than half of their games this year. Rennes has one win and four losses in the last five matches. Their latest defeat was an embarrassing 3-1 loss against Toulouse which saw them exit the competition against a very weak opponent.
Shakhtar Donetsk is averaging over two goals per game this season and you can make a good case for them as they troubled Madrid over two legs. The Ukrainian side is also good at the back and are only letting in an average of 0.85 goals per game. Rennes is barely scoring up to two goals per game and their defense hasn't been helping matters with 1.25 goals conceded every 90 minutes.
This is the first meeting between these two teams but Shakhtar Donetsk already has Champions League experience this season and were competitive throughout the group stage. Shakhtar Donetsk is also playing at home which is an extra advantage. A bet on the home team to win or draw is the best option in this game.
