When BATE head to Lviv to play Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday, they’ll be hoping to avoid being embarrassed like they were when they welcomed the Ukrainian champions to Belarus and were beaten 7-0 a few weeks ago. That result moved Shakhtar up above BATE and into second place in the group, and the Belarusian outfit need a win to jump back into a progression spot this week.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. BATE Borisov, 2014 UEFA Champions League: Time, TV schedule and game preview
Shakhtar Donetsk are strong favourites for their match at home to BATE on Wednesday.
Unfortunately for BATE, it’s hard to envisage them winning away against a vastly superior Shakhtar side. In Brazilian striker Luiz Adriano, the Ukrainians boast the Champions League’s top scorer, and he’ll no doubt be looking to feast on the messy BATE back line again in this match. When these sides met in Borisov late last month, Adriano scored a quite remarkable five goals.
Key player - Taison (Shakhtar Donetsk)
Though Luiz Adriano tends to steal the headlines when Shakhtar do well, it’s energetic attacking midfielder Taison who really makes them tick. The Brazilian is an incredibly industrious player, drifting across the field to link play when in possession, and scrambling to shield the midfield when his side lose the ball. Expect him to be at the heart of all of Shakhtar’s play in this match.
Key matchup - Luiz Adriano vs. the BATE defence
That said, Taison doesn’t have the clinical goalscoring ability of his teammate Luiz Adriano, who embarrassed the BATE defence last time out. If the BATE defence can’t shut him down more effectively here, then Shakhtar should be on for another big victory.
Shakhtar Donetsk injuries and suspensions
Out: None. In doubt: Serhiy Kryvtsov (ankle), Ilsinho (illness).
BATE Borisov injuries and suspensions
Out: None. In doubt: Egor Filipenko (hamstring).
Shakhtar could be without defender Serhiy Kryvtsov and midfielder Ilsinho through injury, though should have all of their key players available. BATE, meanwhile, will be hoping defender Egor Filipenko recovers from a hamstring problem in time to play this match.
Match Date/Time: Wednesday, 9:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Arena Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine
TV: Fox Soccer Plus, Directv (U.S.), Sky Sports Red Button (U.K.), Futbol 2 (Ukraine), Belarus 2 (Belarus)
Online: ESPN3 Online-App, Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada)
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