Shakhtar Donetsk vs Dinamo Zagreb UCL Matchday 3 Odds, Picks & Betting Preview
- Shakhtar Donetsk has won both previous meetings between the teams
- Dinamo Zagreb has never beaten a Ukrainian team in 10 attempts in UEFA competitions
- Two teams set to meet home and away in Matchdays 3 and 4
With both teams having taken three points each from the first two games, the next fortnight will go a long way to determining which of the two likely qualifies alongside Group C leader Manchester City, who have yet to concede a goal.
Shakhtar Donetsk and Dinamo Zagreb will face each other home and away over Matchdays 3 and 4, with the first game in Donetsk on Tuesday, before the second meeting on November 6.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Dinamo Zagreb Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shakhtar Donetsk | -0.5 (-145) | -140 | O 2.5 (-120) |
| Dinamo Zagreb | +0.5 (+120) | +425 | U 2.5 (EVEN) |
| Draw | N/A | +335 | N/A |
* Odds taken on 10/16/19
Shakhtar Goes for the Hat-trick
Shakhtar Donetsk and Dinamo Zagreb have played twice before, in the qualifying rounds of the 2008-09 Champions League, with Shakhtar winning both ties.
The team from Ukraine won 2-0 at home, before going on to register a 3-1 in the return fixture. The two fixtures remain Shakhtar’s only games against Croatian opposition.
So far in this season’s Champions League, both teams have registered tidy wins against Italian side Atalanta, while both have lost to English champions Manchester City.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Dinamo Zagreb UCL 2019-20 Statistics
| 1 | Wins | 1 |
| 1 | Losses | 1 |
| 0 | Draws | 0 |
| 2 | Goals For | 4 |
| 4 | Goals Against | 2 |
| 18 | Total Shots | 15 |
| 86% | Passing Accuracy | 67% |
| 48% | Possession | 38% |
Domestic Dominance
Having won the past three Ukrainian league titles, Shakhtar are well-positioned to claim a fourth, and 13th overall, having started the domestic season with a perfect ten wins from ten games. On top of that, they have scored 30 goals and conceded just six. The main threat so far this season has been the Brazilian-born Ukrainian striker Moraes, who has 13 goals overall, including nine in the league.
However, success on the European stage has been harder to come by for Shakhtar.
Matchday 2’s 2-1 win against Atalanta was just Shakhtar’s second win in nine Champions League matches. However, they have an admirable home record in European competition, having lost just three of their last 19 matches at Metalist Stadium. However, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last ten home games, and haven’t managed to win any of their last five games there.
Unlucky 13
Dinamo’s away form has not exactly been great in the Champions League. Their 2-0 at Manchester City on Matchday 2 was the team’s 13th consecutive loss away from home, a run that has dragged on since a 2-2 draw at Marseille back in 1999.
But wherever Dinamo has played, victories have proved elusive. Their 4-0 victory over Atalanta on Matchday 1 brought an end to a run of 11 successive losses, and prior to that, the defending Croatian champions had won only one game in 27 matches.
On top of that, Dinamo have never tasted success against Ukrainian opposition. In addition to the two losses to Shakhtar 11 years ago, of the other eight games they’ve played in UEFA tournaments, they have drawn two and lost six.
Back in Croatia though, it’s a far different story, where the club recently claimed its 13th league title in the last 14 seasons. While it currently trails Hajduk Split by a point in this year’s table, Dinamo also has a game in hand.
Pick: Shakhtar (-140) to continue Ukrainian dominance over Dinamo Zagreb with a home win.
For the last 20 years, Paul Attfield has worked in sports media. Starting out in his native Britain with the likes of The Independent, he eventually switched continents, with his work appearing in the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Yahoo Sports since.
