Shakhtar Donetsk vs Veres Rivne Prediction

Right then, gather round! We've got what looks like a proper mismatch in the Ukrainian Premier League as Shakhtar Donetsk host Veres Rivne. And if the numbers are anything to go by, the visitors might be in for a long old afternoon.

Shakhtar come into this one sitting pretty in second spot, level on 38 points with LNZ Cherkasy at the summit. They've been banging them in for fun lately – just ask Karpaty, who took a 3-0 hiding last weekend, or Dinamo Tbilisi, who shipped seven in a friendly earlier this month. Seven! At home, they're averaging 2.5 goals a game, and with only one defeat in their last ten outings, they're looking rock solid. Even that loss was a friendly blip against German opposition; they bounced back with a 7-2 thrashing immediately after.

Now, Veres Rivne... bless 'em. They're parked in ninth, safely mid-table but with nowt to shout about really. They've drawn six of their last ten – including a run of four consecutive stalemates in their winter friendlies – and away from home, they've been about as threatening as a declawed kitten. Zero wins on the road in their last two away games, averaging just 0.5 goals per trip, and conceding two a pop. Their only win in the last ten came against bottom-of-the-table SK Poltava, and even that was a narrow 3-2 squeaker.

The head-to-head makes grim reading if you're a Veres fan. Shakhtar have never lost to them in eight meetings – six wins, two draws. At home? Played three, won three, never even conceded a goal in the last two clashes. The most recent meeting back in August finished 2-0 to the Miners, and before that it was 3-0. You get the picture.

Key Points:

• Shakhtar have won 6 of 8 against Veres, drawing the other 2

• The hosts average 2.5 goals per game at home; Veres concede 2.0 away

• Veres have failed to win any of their last 2 away games (0W-1D-1L)

• Shakhtar kept clean sheets in 4 of the last 5 H2H meetings

• The visitors average just 0.5 goals per game on their travels

Summary:

Look, the odds of 1.36 for a home win won't make you a millionaire overnight, but sometimes you've got to take the straightforward route. Shakhtar are title-chasing, in form, and have a psychological hold over this lot that you wouldn't believe. Veres struggle to score away and Shakhtar keep things tight at the back. Home win, simple as that.