The 2019/20 UEFA Europa League round of 16 stage is going to be a little different to that of previous seasons.
Several matches are going to be played behind closed doors due to the spread of the coronavirus and that includes the game between Wolfsburg and Shakhtar Donetsk. Therefore, Wolfsburg will lose some of their home advantage but will still hope to build a lead to take with them for the second leg.
Wolfsburg come into this match having picked up a point in a 0-0 draw at home with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on the weekend. It was a decent result for Wolfsburg who remained in contention to qualify for European football again next season. The draw means they are undefeated in their last 8 games in all competitions.
Wolfsburg have picked up wins over Paderborn, Hoffenheim and Malmo away from home plus Mainz and Malmo at home. However, they have drawn each of their last 2 matches both of which have come in the Bundesliga.
Trends show Wolfsburg have won each of their last 4 Europa League games including home victories against Saint-Etienne and Malmo. They have won 3 of their last 4 home Europa League matches and both teams have scored in 5 of their last 6 at the Volkswagen Arena. Wolfsburg have also seen over 2.5 goals scored in those 5 games.
Shakhtar Donetsk travel to Germany having defeated Kolos Kovalivka 4-3 away from home in the Ukraine Premier League on the weekend. That result maintains their huge lead over Dynamo Kiev and despite only having played 22 matches in the league it appears as though they have the title in the bag this season.
That result means Shakhtar Donetsk have lost only one of their last 7 competitive games in all competitions and that came away to Vorskla in the domestic league. Away form shows only one defeat in their last 8 matches in all competitions and they have lost only one of their last 7 away games in the Europa League.
Shakhtar Donetsk have little problem when it comes to scoring goals away from home in the Europa League and they have found the back of the net in each of their last 13 away games in the competition. However, they have kept just one clean sheet in their last 5 away matches in the Europa League and conceded 12 goals.
Top Trends
⚒ Команда на борту. Наша следующая остановка – #Германия! 🇩🇪Пожелайте нам удачи в первом матче с «Вольфсбургом» в @EuropaLeague! #UEL pic.twitter.com/Z0jFXgkawL— ⚒FC SHAKHTAR DONETSK (@FCShakhtar) March 11, 2020
⚒ Команда на борту. Наша следующая остановка – #Германия! 🇩🇪Пожелайте нам удачи в первом матче с «Вольфсбургом» в @EuropaLeague! #UEL pic.twitter.com/Z0jFXgkawL
Team news and Wolfsburg have doubts over the fitness of five players with Josuha Guilavogui, Ignacio Camacho, Kevin Mbabu, Mamoudou Karamoko and William struggling to make the game.
Shakhtar Donetsk are in a similar position and Alan Patrick, Manor Solomon, Oleksandr Pikhalionok, Sergey Krivtsov, Viktor Kovalenko, Maksym Malyshev and Taras Stepanenko are all doubts for the match.
Shakhtar Donetsk have an impressive away goalscoring record in this competition and should manage to get a goal in the game. However, Wolfsburg are going to be tough opposition and could win the match narrowly with both teams scoring.