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Shakhtar Donetsk will welcome Porto to the Volksparkstadion in their UEFA Champions League campaign opener on Tuesday.
The hosts are in the group stage of the competition for the sixth season in a row and have failed to make it to the knockout stage in four of their last five appearances. The visitors, meanwhile, are in the group stage for the fourth time in a row. They made it to the round of 16 last season, suffering a defeat to eventual finalists Inter Milan.
The hosts have enjoyed an unbeaten start to their season, winning five of their seven games in the Ukrainian Premier League. They resumed their league campaign following the international break with a 1-0 home win over Obolon Kyiv.
The visitors are unbeaten in their Primeira Liga campaign thus far and in their previous outing, recorded a 1-0 away win over Estrela on Friday, with Mehdi Taremi scoring the only goal of the match in the 29th minute.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Porto Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have squared off six times in all competitions, with four meetings taking place in the Champions League. The visitors have an unbeaten record against the hosts with three wins and three games ending in draws.
- They last met in the group stage of the 2014-15 Champions League campaign, with the two meetings ending in draws. Three of the six meetings between them have produced under 2.5 goals.
- The visitors have scored at least one goal in all six meetings against the hosts, who have scored in five of those games.
- The visitors have won four of their last six games in the Champions League, keeping four clean sheets in that period.
- Shakhtar have just one win in their last 14 games in the Champions League. They are winless in their last seven home games in the competition.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Porto Prediction
The hosts have endured a poor run at home in the Champions League, as they have gone winless in their last seven home games in the competition. They have failed to score in three of their last six home matches and might struggle here.
Dragões have won two of their last three away games in the Champions League, scoring seven goals while conceding just once in that period. They will have a few absentees for the game as Iván Marcano was injured in their league outing against Estrela.
Evanilson was also subbed off in that game while there are doubts over the availability of Marko Grujic. Eduardo Gabriel Aquino Cossa is suspended and will not travel to Hamburg.
With both teams enjoying unbeaten runs in their respective leagues thus far, we expect them to be closely matched. Nonetheless, considering the visitors' unbeaten run against the hosts and better record in the Champions League, we expect Porto to eke out a narrow win.
Prediction: Shakhtar Donetsk 1-2 Porto
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Porto Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Porto to win
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the first half - Yes
Tip 4: Mehdi Taremi to score or assist any time - Yes
