Louis II Stadium.
Referee: Danny Mackey (Netherlands)
Monaco advanced to the play-offs with ease. But Shakhtar Donetsk is quite a threat and will not make things so easy for them in the upcoming match. How will Niko Kovac's wards handle an experienced Eurocup opponent?
Monaco form
Monaco easily defeated Sparta Prague in the last round by a combined score of 5-1. But Monaco's first attempt at the new Ligue 1 season proved to be a major disappointment. In the first round, Niko Kovac's charges were defeated by Lorient by a narrow score of 1-0. Despite having a 73% of ball possession, the Monegasque team couldn't take this advantage to achieve a victory. Perhaps they needed Alexander Golovin to make a decisive pass, who unfortunately suffered a muscular injury.
Shakhtar form
Shakhtar defeated Belgium's Genk in the last round with a combined score of 4-2. Both matches ended with the same score of 2-1. We should mention that this summer, the Donetsk club was headed by the former Sassuolo coach Roberto de Zerbi, who replaced the Portuguese Luiz Castro. Shakhtar won four out of four possible games in the Ukrainian. They defeated the underdog teams such as: Ingulets (2-1), Lviv (3-0), Alexandria (2-1) and Metalist 1925 (2-0). It seems that Shakhtar are eager to revitalize themselves after their terrible performance last season.
Injuries and suspensions
Monaco: Golovin, Badiashile, Lecomte.
Shakhtar: Bondar, Malyshev.
Expert betting tips
Shakhtar will definitely put up a more difficult game than Monaco's previous opponents. The difference in class of the teams speaks for itself. Therefore we recommend betting on Both to score - Yes for 1.80.
Also, we do not exclude that Shakhtar will be coming for a draw, which will make the game a bit stiffer in terms of entertainment. We suggest betting on a victory for the visiting team for 5.30, especially since the match with Lorient showed the shortcomings of the Monegasque side.
In conclusion, we believe that the first goal will not be scored immediately, as the teams will first study each other. Thus, they will be cautious. Therefore, we should bet on Both Teams To Score In Both Halves - No for 1.05.