Shakhtar Donetsk vs BSC Young Boys Prediction 06.11.2024 | Champions League

• Competition: UEFA Champions League
• Date: Wednesday, 6th, November 2024
• Kickoff: 17:45 UK / 18.45 CET
• Venue: Veltins Arena (Gelsenkirchen)

The quest for a first Champions League victory continues for Shakhtar Donetsk and BSC Young Boys as they prepare to square off at Veltins Arena on Wednesday evening.

Thanks to their consistent dominance in the Ukrainian top division, the Donetsk-based club are making their eighth consecutive Champions League appearance, but it seems their journey might once again conclude in the group stage, as has been the case for the past six years. Indeed, Marino Pusic's men began their European campaign with a dull scoreless draw at Bologna, only to come up empty-handed in their next two outings, succumbing to losses against Atalanta and Arsenal without finding the net as they allowed four goals during that span.

On the opposite side, we have BSC Young Boys, a team that has significantly enhanced their European pedigree in recent years, with the 2024-25 campaign marking their fourth appearance in the last seven seasons. Sadly for the Swiss champions, they are one of five teams that have failed to earn a single point on the board during the first three matches of the Champions League. However, it is fair to say that the schedule for the Yellow-Blacks has been far from forgiving, as they suffered heavy defeats to Aston Villa (0-3) and Barcelona (0-5) before showing slight improvement, but unfortunately, this was not enough as they fell to a solitary one-goal defeat against Inter last time out.

Shakhtar Donetsk vs BSC Young Boys Betting Tips: UNDER 2.5

As we can see, both are facing poor starts in the Champions League, so we don’t expect either side to take additional risks or worsen their already troubling situations, which will likely lead to a more cautious approach in their Wednesday direct clash, where goals are expected to be scarce. Besides struggling in the early weeks of their European outings, both sides have exhibited a deficiency in ruthlessness in front of goal, which has prevented them from putting up any resistance against their rivals. 

It is evident that Shakhtar Donetsk have lost the attacking firepower they once possessed, as highlighted by the fact that they have failed to find the net more than once in four out of their last five matches across any competition. Opponent Young Boys have also struggled to find their teeth in the final third, especially when playing as visitors, as they have gone four consecutive matches across all competitions without scoring, including all three of their Champions League games. Considering that both teams will be eager to avoid further troubles in this competition, combined with their offensive struggles, we expect the points to be shared in what is likely to be a goal-shy contest.