Shakhtar v Real Madrid: Back bet which landed last week

Shakhtar 8.615/2 v Real Madrid 1.42/5; The Draw 5.69/2
Tuesday 11 October, 20:00
Live on BT Sport Extra

Qualification can come early for Real Madrid

Real Madrid can qualify for the last-16 of the Champions League with a win at Shakhtar on Tuesday night.

The Champions League holders have taken maximum points from their games in Group F, which includes a 2-1 against Shakhtar in the reverse fixture last week. They followed that up with a 1-0 win at Getafe in La Liga on Saturday.

Karim Benzema missed the match against Getafe. He recently returned from injury, but did not look sharp in his comeback games against Osasuna and Shakhtar, failing to score in either. Carlo Ancelotti's comments in his press conference on Friday suggests that the French striker might have been rested rather than being injured again. Either way, Benzema's fitness issues are a concern for Madrid, with his talismanic performances last season playing a huge part in their Champions League triumph and La Liga victory.

That said, Madrid are unbeaten in twelve games (W11 D1). They will be expecting to win away in Shakhtar, no matter who plays, though the Ukrainians do have one advantage. Shakhtar have not played since losing to Real last week, so should be fresh for this match in Warsaw, Poland.

Madrid's recent games have seen few goals

Real Madrid are the 1.42/5 favourites, with the draw at 5.69/2 and Shakhtar out at 8.615/2.

Last week we correctly predicted that Madrid would win in a match that would see both teams score. Ancelotti's side has been conceding regularly at home, but they have now kept clean sheets in two of their last three away games, so odds of 2.6533/20 for a repeat, do not appeal.

Instead go for a Real Madrid win and under 3.5 goals at 2.56/4, which also landed last week. Madrid's last five games have all seen a maximum of three goals scored.