Real Madrid v Shakhtar: Back Champions League holders to bounce back

Real Madrid 1.211/5 v Shakhtar Donetsk 17.533/2; The Draw 8.415/2
Wednesday 5 October, 20:00
Live on BT Sport Extra

Madrid no longer hold perfect record

Real Madrid will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing weekend, when they host Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday night.

The reigning La Liga and Champions League holders went into Sunday's match with Osasuna, with a 100% perfect record this season. Their run of nine straight victories came to an end, with Osasuna holding Madrid to a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu, in a match that saw the returning Karim Benzema miss a penalty.

Though Benzema was responsible for the dropped points, ultimately it is a big positive for Real to have the French striker back available, after his absence through injury. Real Madrid are now second in La Liga, behind Barcelona on goal difference, but they are top of Group F in the Champions League, having beaten Celtic 3-0 and RB Leipzig 2-0.

In second place are Shakhtar, who started their Champions League campaign with a surprise 4-1 win at RB Leipzig and then drew 1-1 at home with Celtic. That 'home' match was actually played in Warsaw, Poland, due to the current conflict in Ukraine.

Madrid have been conceding at the Bernabeu

Real Madrid are the 1.211/5 favourites, with the draw at 8.415/2 and Shakhtar out at 17.533/2.

Carlo Ancelotti's team really should have won at the weekend and there's no reason to think that they won't get back to winning ways against Shakhtar. The only question is how to extract some value in backing them, with Madrid's price being so slim.

Perhaps the key is to bank on Shakhtar being able to score. In four games at the Bernabeu this season, Madrid have conceded in three of them. Shakhtar won 6-1 at Metalist Kharkiv over the weekend and you can back a home win and both teams to score at 2.77/4.