Shakhtar Donetsk vs Barcelona prediction, odds and preview

Barcelona will book a place in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League should they avoid defeat away from home when they take on Shakhtar Donetsk in their fourth group stage game on Wednesday.

Shakhtar lie in third place in Group H, with only three points in their three opening group stage games in the competition while the Catalans have an excellent record this campaign with nine points from their first three group matches.

Barcelona have finished third in the group stages of the last two Champions League editions under Xavi and the Catalans will be eyeing a return in the next round of the competition.

The Catalans suffered a 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in El Classico yet returned to winning ways in La Liga after a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad with Ronald Araujo heading in the winner off a soothing Gundogan cross in injury time.

Despite suffering a 2-1 defeat at the Olympic Stadium, Shakhtar are only three points behind second placed Porto and will be confident of turning the tides in their favor ahead of their crunch encounter against Barca.

Barca have seven wins in their last 11 matches against Ukrainian teams with only three defeats and a draw but have emerged victorious away from home in the Champions League on only 14 occasions out their last 32 games.