Shakhtar Donetsk vs Basel Predictions

• Shakhtar Donetsk have won eight of their ten competitive games since the restart of football.
• Basel have only won seven of their 15 outings since the resumption.
• Basel have scored just one goal in their last three matches.
• The Swiss side will be playing their fifth competitive match in just over two weeks on Tuesday.

Shakhtar’s fine form continues

Shakhtar Donetsk put in an excellent display back in March as they beat Wolfsburg 2-1 away from home in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie, but they surpassed even their own expectations when the competition finally resumed last week.

The Ukrainians thrashed the visiting Bundesliga club 3-0 at home, sealing their place in the quarter finals and setting up this tie with Basel at the neutral venue of the VELTINS-Arena in Gelsenkirchen.

Shakhtar Donetsk, looking to get to their first Europa League semi-final since 2016, are in a fine vein of form as they jet off to Germany.

Their domestic season ended in mid-July as they romped to yet another Ukrainian Premier League title, 23 points clear of Dynamo Kiev and unbeaten since the restart of football. They have won eight of their ten competitive matches since the resumption, scoring an impressive 24 goals in the process.

Basel struggle to rediscover winning ways

Basel ended the season is less than emphatic form as they finished 3rd in the Swiss Super League, 14 points adrift of winners Young Boys and lamenting their patchy form since the return of football.

They have won just seven of their 15 competitive games since the shutdown came to an end, drawing four of their last six matches. That being said, their 1-0 triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt last week will have given them a much needed confidence boost as they look to get to the Europa League Semi-Finals for the first time since 2013.

Fatigue could play a part in Gelsenkirchen

The Swiss side could suffer from a bit of fatigue though. While both clubs were in Europa League action last week, Basel’s domestic season ended just three days prior to their second leg tie with Frankfurt.

Shakhtar Donetsk have played just once competitive game since the 19th July, while Basel have been in action five times since then and Tuesday’s tie will be Basel’s fifth competitive match in 15 days.

Add that to Basel’s underwhelming form and Shakhtar’s excellent record since the return of football and backing the Ukrainians to emerge victorious looks excellent value for money.

Basel have only scored one goal in their last three games too, while Shakhtar have won to nil in two of their last three competitive games. With the Ukrainians averaging 2.4 goals per game since the restart, a 2-0 correct score prediction looks attractive.