Shakhtar Donetsk vs Ilves prediction 10.07.2025 | Europa League qualification
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
Kick off:
Date:
FC Ilves
1
1.17
X
7.80
2
14.50
Contents
- Competition: Europa League qualifications
- Date: Thursday, 10th July 2025
- Kickoff: 19:00 UK / 20:00 CEST
- Venue: Stadion Stožice (Ljubljana)
The last season was the worst for Shakhtar Donetsk since 1996, as they ended third in the Ukrainian Premier League. However, the disappointment was somewhat offset by success in the national cup, where they lifted their 15th trophy. Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, Shakhtar have assembled a strong squad and are aiming to reclaim their place at the top of Ukrainian football. This summer, Arda Turan's team had only two friendly matches in which they failed to impress. In those games, Shakhtar won 1-0 against Gorica and played 1-1 against Slovacko.
Ilves are one of the best Finnish teams. After 15 Veikkausliiga rounds, they are third on the table but with only one point fewer than the league leader, Inter Turku. Ilves are in solid form lately, with three games in a row without defeat. In the last match, they played 1-1 on the road against SJK. The guests had much better opportunities to score (1.46 xG to the opponent's 0.57), but Ilves' inefficiency cost them victory.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Ilves pick: Under 3.5 goals
Shakhtar Donetsk scored only two goals in two friendly matches this summer. On the other hand, Ilves scored one more goal in their previous two games. Both teams have struggled in the attack lately, so under 3.5 goals should be the best bet for this tie.
Shakhtar Donetsk team news
Shakhtar Donetsk didn't impress in two friendly matches, but the head coach, Arda Turan, sees a lot of positives ahead of the game against Ilves. He said, "I believe we will perform well and with strength, keep possession and do it the Shakhtar way. We will control the game in the opposing half. You will see a team that reacts to every ball and gives everything to win. We will never back down to be fully ready in five days. I have great trust in my players; I can see the fire in their eyes. We will play with passion and intensity."
Dmytro Kryskiv and Diego Arroyo suffered injuries during the preseason and will not play against Ilves.
Last matches of FC Shakhtar Donetsk
-
Rukh Vynnyky
1 : 1
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
Premier League
-
Inhulets
1 : 4
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
Premier League
-
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
6 : 5
Dynamo Kyiv
Ukrainian Cup
-
Zorya Luhansk
0 : 0
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
Premier League
-
Chornomorets
0 : 3
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
Premier League
FC Shakhtar Donetsk lineup
Goalkeeper
-
31
Dmytro Riznyk
Defenders
-
17
Vinicius Tobias
-
22
Mykola Matvienko
-
5
Valeriy Bondar
-
16
Irakli Azarovi
Midfielders
-
6
Marlon Gomes
-
10
Georgiy Sudakov
-
29
Yegor Nazaryna
Forwards
-
30
Alisson
-
19
Kaua Elias
-
11
Kevin
Ilves team news
Ilves failed to beat SJK, but the head coach, Joonas Rantanen, was still partially satisfied. He said, "In the end, we can be really satisfied with our performance, even though we didn't get a win. The players did a great job at the end of a tough week, and we did everything we could to win."
Ilves' Felipe Aspegren and Otto Tiitinen are injured and will not play on Thursday in Ljubljana.
Last matches of FC Ilves
-
SJK
1 : 1
FC Ilves
Veikkausliiga
-
Haka
0 : 4
FC Ilves
Veikkausliiga
-
FC Ilves
2 : 3
SJK
Veikkausliiga
-
KuPS
0 : 3
FC Ilves
Veikkausliiga
-
Gnistan
0 : 2
FC Ilves
Veikkausliiga
FC Ilves lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Otso Virtanen
Defenders
-
22
Aapo Maenpaa
-
16
Tatu Miettunen
-
3
Matias Rale
Midfielders
-
13
Kalle Wallius
-
7
Joona Veteli
-
14
Anton Popovitch
-
19
Oiva Jukkola
Forwards
-
17
Marius Soderback
-
27
Adeleke Akinyemi
-
15
Lauri Ala-Myllymaki
3 Reasons why we shouldn't expect more than three goals in this match
- Shakhtar Donetsk scored only two goals in two friendly matches this summer
- There were two or fewer goals in both Shakhtar Donetsk games this summer
- There were three or fewer goals in each of the last two Ilves matches
Main prediction FC Shakhtar Donetsk - FC Ilves
Under 3.5 goals
Best Odds:
Melbet
1.81
