The current leaders in Group H, will meet to decide which one will take the lead, and most likely qualify as first in the group. So far Arsenal has 6 points beating Braga with 6:0 at home and Partizan with 3:1 away from home.
Shakhtar Donetsk also has 6 points winning over Partizan with 1:0 at home and over Braga with 3:0 away from home. Unfortunately for them Arsenal is a team that plays quite well at home.
And if that’s not enough, Arsenal have won three of their four Champions league home games against Ukrainian opposition, the exception being a 1-1 draw with Dynamo Kiev played at Wembley Stadium in 1998.
Both teams have met some 10 years ago, in 2000 where Arsenal won at home with 3:2, but lost away with 0:3.
When I mentioned earlier that Arsenal players well at home, I forgot to mention that they have only lost 2 of the last 35 Champions League games at home, both losses to English teams.
Here are few more interesting facts about both teams:
* The Gunners have scored 19 goals in their last five Champions League home matches.
* Shakhtar’s games in Europe against English sides have all been against teams from London and they have drawn one and lost two of their trips to the capital.
* Arsenal have kept 14 clean sheets in 21 Champions league matches at the Emirates.
Prediction?
Arsenal to win @ 1.74 (Bet with the highest odds at Betfair.com – 25£ FREE BET): Having such a huge home winning record, and a perfect record against Ukrainian teams in the recent years I think it’s quite safe to go for the home win here. Although Arsenal has a number of injured players, they youngsters are good enough to pull out the 3 points out of this game.
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