Shakhtar Donetsk vs. RB Leipzig preview: Team news and predicted lineups
RB Leipzig only need a point in Poland on Wednesday night to defeat Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk and secure their spot in the Champions League round of 16.
| Photo: Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
However, the Ukrainian giants have a major say in Leipzig's future, as a win will see them through and send the Red Bull club to the Europa League. Leipzig haven't lost in their last nine competitive games and need just a point away from home to advance.
Rose's team surprisingly topped Real Madrid last week and took care of business against Leverkusen over the weekend. They'll rely on Christopher Nkunku's and Timo Werner's creativity up front, who are starting to look like a nearly unstoppable attacking duo.
They face a major task in trying to slow down Shakhtar winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, who has tallied seven goals and seven assists in all competitions already.
Rose said that, "(Shakhtar) defend extremely hard and are willing to suffer. - The energy level is high. It's Champions League and the boys know what it's all about."
Marian Shved and Viktor Kornienko are out for Shakhtar, who have three draws and a loss in Champions League play since their win over the German club.
Leipzig's injury list includes captain Peter Gulasci, Lukas Klostermann, Konrad Laimer and Yussuf Poulsen.
Take a look at our predicted lineups here.