Photo byJulien RocheblaveonUnsplash

Bologna will start their 2024 Champions League season at home against Shakhtar Donetsk, looking to earn their first points under the new look champions league. The Italian has experienced a significant surge in the Serie A standings, earning them a spot in this UEFA Champions League. Bologna will hope to shine after coming back to the League since the last time they played in 2000.

Meanwhile, Shakhtar are not strangers to the Champions League, and now they are playing their eighth straight year. At the moment, the Ukrainian team is struggling in the league, ranked seventh, losing two of their first five games of the season. Donetsk will use this game as a way to get back on the right track.

Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk Odds

• Bologna -0.5 (-115) vs. Shakhtar Donetsk +0.5 (-115)
• Bologna (-110) vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (+290)
• Over 2.5 Goals (Even) vs. Under 2.5 Goals (-135)

Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk Match Details

• Fixture: Bologna vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
• Date and Time: September, 18th, 2024,
• Location: Renato Dall'Ara Stadium, Bologna, Italy

Key Stats

Bologna

Bologna starts their Champion League a different team than the one that outperformed in Serie A in 2023. The team has lost their manager, striker Joshua Zirkzee sold to Manchester United, and their top defender Riccardo Calafiori to Premier League side Arsenal.

However, the host team replaced their striker with Thijs Dallinga who was signed from French side Toulouse. Dallinga scored 14 goals in the French league last season. During the current Serie A season, Bologna has recorded mixed results, recording three draws out of the four games played so far. The expected goals for the team stand at +0.8, showing that the performance of the team is good and hopes for a positive result against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Shakhtar Donetsk

Like their opponents, Shakhtar has recorded lukewarm results, losing two matches and leaving them in the middle of the Ukrainian league table. Last season, the Ukrainian team beat Barcelona and Antwerp at home, but they lost two away games against Porto and Barcelona.

Despite struggling in the current season, Donetsk has scored more than six goals, showing they still have it. Shakhtar are looking to get better results from their away Champion League matches, but it’s take a lot of work having lost 10 of their last 15 against Italian clubs.

Prediction

The matchup between Bologna and Shakhtar Donetsk is fairly balanced as Shakhtar has the experience of playing in the Champions League in the last eight seasons. However, the reigning Ukrainian champions might struggle to grab all three points in Emilia-Romagna. Meanwhile, Bologna has failed to impress in the current season but will hope to get some positive results before traveling away to play Liverpool in October.

Final Pick

Bologna(ML), -110

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Article originally written by John Muthui