Shakhtar Donetsk vs Lech Poznan Prediction & Tips
Shakhtar’s first campaign in UEFA’s third-tier European club competition is going according to plan, after finishing sixth in the group stage and winning 3-1 on the road against Lech last week. Looking to avoid a sixth elimination in the round of 16 of a UEFA competition in their last eight appearances, Shakhtar is in excellent form across all competitions, having been undefeated in official matches since October (W12, D3) and sitting atop the domestic league. However, their attempt to establish a familiar “home” in Kraków has not paid off, with just one win in four matches (2 draws, 1 loss), standing in stark contrast to their five consecutive away wins.
If Lech Poznań needed a confidence boost ahead of the second leg, last weekend came at just the right time. The clear 1-0 victory on Zagłębie’s home turf tied them with Zagłębie at the top of the Ekstraklasa standings and, perhaps more importantly for this matchup, ended a streak of three consecutive losses in official matches. It’s also worth noting that the win came on the road, meaning Lech has now recorded six victories in their last nine away matches across all competitions (W6, D2), including wins in the UEFA Conference League against Sigma Olomouc (group stage) and KuPS (playoff round).
DRAW OR LECH POZNAN – X2 @ 1.80
