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Fresh off a 1-0 victory against Barcelona at home, the Ukrainians host a Royal Antwerp side that has yielded 14 goals in four group-stage matches. With Group H co-leaders Barca and Porto squaring off later Tuesday, Shakhtar can move into contention to advance. They beat the Belgians 3-2 on the road last month. Shakhtar have actually been better on the road in the Ukrainian Premier League, but Antwerp have won just one of eight Belgian Pro League road matches (1-4-3). The hosts should win this one by a couple of goals.
Antwerp have yet to record a point in the group stage after conceding 14 goals in their first four matches. Antwerp suffered a 3-2 setback against Shakhtar Donetsk in the reverse fixture and I think the Ukrainian side could surpass this total by themselves on Tuesday. Shakhtar Donetsk can still qualify for the Round of 16 after pulling off a stunning 1-0 victory over Barcelona on Nov. 7, but they'll likely need a win here to advance, so I expect we’ll see Shakhtar deploy an attacking style of play. Plus, Over 2.5 goals have been scored in three of the four group stage games for both teams, a trend I see continuing on Tuesday.
Shakhtar Donetsk battled to a 3-2 victory over Antwerp when these teams clashed in Belgium on October 4. It was yet another inept defensive display from Antwerp, which has conceded 14 goals in just four Champions League group stage games this season. The Belgian team is bottom of the group, having lost all four of its matches. However, Antwerp is starting to improve in its domestic league, as evidenced by a recent 6-0 win against Standard Liege. Shakhtar pulled off a shock 1-0 win against Barcelona in its last Champions League match, but we could see a higher-scoring affair when it faces Antwerp this week.
Shakhtar are home and still have a chance to qualify for the knockout phase with a victory. They're facing an Antwerp side that is 0-4 in the group stage and conceded three times at home in its previous meeting with Shakhtar. This line seems like an absolute gift, and I see Shakhtar winning by multiple goals.



