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Match Preview & Prediction
Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk have been in the news of late after the club urged FIFA to remove Iran from the 2022 World Cup due to reports that the Islamic Republic has been supplying Russia with weapons during their continued invasion of the country. A recent photo of the club sitting in their dressing room during a postponed match in Lviv due to air raid sirens was a poignant reminder of what is at stake for the club that bears the hopes of thousands of fans amid tragedy.
⚒ #Shakhtar arrived in Warsaw for the decisive match with RB Leipzig for reaching the playoffs!
List of players who flew to the final match of the #UCL group stage: https://t.co/Oi3x4rN1Ag.
The #ShakhtarRBL match will take place on November 2 and will begin at 18:45 СET. pic.twitter.com/ylRWhWtA0G
— FC SHAKHTAR ENGLISH (@FCShakhtar_eng) October 30, 2022
What is at stake on the pitch in Poland at Stadion Wojska Polskiego is nothing short of Shakhtar having their own European destiny in their hands. Sitting three points adrift of Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig but owning the head-to-head record after a 4-1 matchday one win and a superior goal difference means a win for the Ukrainian side and they are into the round of 16, but can still boast qualification for the Europa League knockout stage should they fail to secure all three points.
Shakhtar has been decent in Europe as well having just lost once in group play, but three draws on their CV, two which of came against bottom-dwelling Celtic, find them in the position they are in.
Checking out tomorrow’s surroundings 🚶♂️
🔴⚪ #WeAreLeipzig #DONRBL pic.twitter.com/l5iRuksvP5
— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) November 1, 2022
As for Leipzig, Marco Rose’s men have won three on the bounce and are the in-form side in Group F at the time of writing and that run included a very credible 3-2 win against Real Madrid in Saxony. RBL has struggled for goals away from home, however, so there is still the possibility of last-gasp heroics from Shakhtar, who come into proceedings with fewer worries on the injury front and a potential x-factor in club starlet winger Mykhailo Mudryk to counter the threat of RBL forward Christopher Nkunku. This has all the storylines to be one of the better fixtures on the final day of group play.
Prediction: Shakhtar Donetsk 1-1 RB Leipzig
