Shakhtar Donetsk – AZ Alkmaar: quarter-final moved to Poland 
Cracow’s Synerise Arena is set for a big European night. Shakhtar Donetsk take on AZ Alkmaar on Thursday evening. The geopolitical backdrop has forced the tie onto Polish soil. The first leg of this Conference League quarter-final should be fierce from the off. Both sides want a place in the last four. With no real home crowd, the whole thing levels out a bit.
Shakhtar Donetsk’s odd road under Arda Turan 
Arda Turan has kept his squad moving in the right direction. Shakhtar Donetsk only just dodged a disaster in the previous round against Lech Poznan. A defeat in the second leg nearly killed off Ukrainian hopes. The first-leg cushion ended up saving them. But the home numbers raise plenty of questions this season. They’ve won just one of their last six continental matches staged at their makeshift home. A 3-0 league win over Rukh Lviv at the weekend did at least calm nerves around the camp. Shakhtar sit second in the Ukrainian top flight.
The Dutch confidence of AZ Alkmaar 
Coach Lee-Roy Echteld leads a dangerous Dutch side. They come in off a convincing 2-0 win over Fortuna Sittard in the Eredivisie. AZ are currently sixth in their domestic league. The last 16 was a demolition job against Sparta Prague. The Dutch side ripped the Czech team apart 4-0 in the second leg. History leans towards the visitors, too. AZ Alkmaar won both previous meetings with Shakhtar Donetsk back in the early 2000s. But their recent away record in Europe is a mess. They’ve lost four of their last five trips. AZ’s back line will have to stand up to Shakhtar’s central pressure.
Expected line-ups
Shakhtar Donetsk : Riznyk ; Konoplia, V Bondar, Marlon, Henrique ; Nazaryna ; Alisson, Pedrinho, Ocheretko, Palmares ; Elias
AZ Alkmaar : Zoet ; Kasius, Goes, Penetra, De Wit ; Clasie, Smit ; Dijkstra, Mijnans, Patati ; Parrott
Football Prediction Shakhtar Donetsk vs AZ Alkmaar
Both teams to score
Shakhtar have to go for it, simple as that. They can’t sit back and play safe. Forced out of Ukraine, they lose the one real edge a home side usually gets: comfort at the back.
The Dutch side are ruthless when they break. Quick, direct, and clinical enough to punish any wobble. And Shakhtar’s defensive nerves should leave space all over the pitch for AZ’s wide men.
The shape of this tie points to an open, end-to-end scrap. Both sides should find the net before the night’s done.
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