Bet on Shakhtar to grab away goal at Camp Nou
Shakhtar Donetsk's recent meetings with Barcelona suggest they could escape from Camp Nou with the tie still in the balance.
Barcelona are overwhelming 9/50 favourites to win the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Shakhtar Donetsk.
Indeed, such is the reigning Spanish champions’ perceived dominance that the price of a Shakhtar win at Camp Nou is 11/1.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainians are 6/1 to progress to the semi-final stage of the competition, with Barcelona priced at 7/100.
A successful £10 bet on Shakhtar Donetsk to upset the odds and progress to the semi-finals at bwin would return £70.
| Primera Division | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espanyol win | £100.00 | (4/1) | ||
| Draw | £78.00 | (29/10) | ||
| Barcelona win | £32.40 | (31/50) | ||
| Espanyol | 0-0 | Barcelona | £300.00 | (14/1) |
| Espanyol | 1-0 | Barcelona | £420.00 | (20/1) |
| Espanyol | 1-1 | Barcelona | £150.00 | (13/2) |
Recent history
However, analysis of the recent meetings of the two teams suggests Shakhtar are not the mugs the betting markets are making them out to be.
The Miners have played Barcelona four times in the Champions League, with their two most recent encounters coming in the group stages of the 2008-09 competition.
While Barcelona won at the Donbass Arena in the first group meeting, Shakhtar exacted revenge when they went on to beat the Catalan giants 3-2 at Camp Nou.
Shakhtar also recorded a victory over Barca when the teams met in the 2004-05 Champions League group stages, although this time their success came at home, with a 2-0 win at the Donbass Arena almost making up for their 3-0 drubbing at Camp Nou two months earlier.
The only other competitive meeting between the two sides was their most recent encounter, which came in the 2009 European Super Cup.
Champions League winners Barcelona edged UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar 1-0 in Monaco, meaning they hold a 3-2 head-to-head record against their Ukrainian foes.
Recent form
Additionally, Shakhtar will be buoyed by their recent form, which has seen them win 16 of their last 17 matches.
Barcelona are also on a good run, with seven wins and a draw coming in their last eight games, and they have won every single one of their Champions League home matches so far this season.
That said, Panathinaikos and Arsenal both scored at Camp Nou, encouraging the notion that Shakhtar might escape from Spain with a vital away goal.
A £10 stake on Barcelona to beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 would return £95. New customers can register here to receive a £25 free bet.