Manchester City vs Shakhtar Donetsk – Champions League Match Preview

Dan Tracey September 26, 2017 Leave a comment 2,370 Views

Manchester City have been quite simply phenomenal in September. They have won all five matches across all competitions scoring a staggering 22 goals while only conceded just a solitary strike from West Brom’s Claudio Yacob in the Carabao Cup.

Tonight it is the Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk which have the task of trying to stop this free scoring City side who are currently scoring an average of 4.4 goals per game during the month of September and on current form there’s absolutely no reason why they cannot get near that figure this evening.

The Premier League has seen them score 16 goals in their last three outings while their opening matchday outing in Rotterdam against Dutch champions Feyenoord was a stroll in the park as they eased to a 4-0 victory in De Kuip which will have just made the rest of Europe sit up and take notice.

Sergio Aguero has scored six goals in five matches this month while teammate Leroy Sane has chipped in with five goals in as many games then once you add the contribution of Gabriel Jesus also, these three players have scored a staggering 15 goals between them in September alone.

With that form in mind it could be a long evening for Shakhtar who currently sit second in the group after a 2-1 win over Napoli on Matchday 1. The focus will very much be on an Argentine of their own as Facundo Ferrerya is currently their joint top goalscorer in the Ukrainian Premier League.

Shakhtar like City sit top of their domestic league at the moment as they are two points clear of perennial rivals Dynamo Kiev although the latter do have a game in hand but running roughshod back at home is a different task to the one they face tonight.

Because it’s not just in attack in which they have been ominous it is at the other end also where they have been just as impressive. It is has been four clean sheets out of five in addition to their gluttony of goals. Usually when teams are free flowing in the final third it is usually to the detriment of their defensive duties. That is not the case here.

It seems as if Pep Guardiola has finally got “his squad” so to speak after something of a transitional season last tiem around and the money spent on the likes of Kyle Walker, Bernard Mendy and Danilo is already paying very early dividends.

But it is the attack which is signing the cheques and with the embarrasment of riches that Guardiola has at his disposal this evening coupled with the form this City side are in. I simply cannot see anything other than a home win later tonight.

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