After a club record 20 wins in a row, City will doubtless have their backers in this one at 15/8.
It seems a big price about a side in such form but there are reasons for it.
City have already won the group so have nothing, bar their winning streak, to play for. However, with the Manchester derby looming on Sunday, they have a much bigger priority this week. Win at Old Trafford and they will be 11 points clear in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola has named four youngsters, including the highly-talented Phil Foden, in his 20-man squad. He is sure to make changes, more than just the enforced ones given that Kevin De Bruyne is suspended and David Silva injured.
He still has plenty of talent to choose from, of course, but will those who play really be operating at their peak level?
There will be no doubts about Shakhtar’s approach. They need a draw to qualify for the last 16 and do have the talent to collect it.
I’ve raved about their passing football on these pages in the past and they gave a good account of themselves at the Etihad in September before going down 2-0, City’s second coming in the last minute.
While I’ll stop short of suggesting you back them at 17/10 – creative force Taison is a doubt, while the fact they only need a draw could see them shut up shop if they are level heading into the final quarter – the bet I do like the look of is star striker Facundo Ferreyra to score at any time.
The Argentine is enjoying the most productive season of his career in front of goal and has already hit 20 goals (in 26 games). They include goals in both home Champions League games so far (against Napoli and Feyenoord).
He spurned a great chance at the Etihad but I can see him getting more here given the weakness City have displayed at the back in recent games.
You can get close to 2/1 about the form striker of the favoured home team scoring during this game. Frankly that, and prices of 6/4 upwards, seems worthy of support.
Prediction: Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Man City
Like City, Spurs have already won their group and so will surely be thinking more about beating Stoke and Brighton in the Premier League over the next week than doing a number on the Cypriots.
Having slipped up domestically since their impressive win over Real Madrid in this competition, Spurs are in real need of Premier League points and Dele Alli won’t be the only one of the regulars missing against APOEL.
Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, Eric Dier, Kieran Trippier and Hugo Lloris will also get the night off so there will be plenty of rusty stand-ins at Wembley.
In contrast, the visitors do have plenty to play for. They are battling with Borussia Dortmund for third place and a spot in the Europa League post-Christmas, a competition they impressed in last season.
With the Germans away to Real Madrid, APOEL are by no means out of the running in that race and a point here could well be enough.
They’ve already drawn away to Dortmund, who they also held at home, and having seen off Athletic Bilbao during that Europa run of 12 months ago, they’ve shown they can perform on big stages and in big games.