Braga 1-2 Shakhtar Donetsk
Thursday, April 7, 2016
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On April 7, in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, the Pitmen met with Braga
2015/16 UEFA Europa League. Quarter-finals. First leg.
April 7, 2016. Braga. Estádio Municipal de Braga. 14 oC.
Braga, Portugal 1-2 (0-1) Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine
Goals: 0-1 Rakits’kyy (45’), 0-2 Ferreyra (75’), 1-2 Wilson Eduardo (89’)
Braga: Matheus, Baiano (c), Boly, Ricardo Ferreira, Goiano, Carlos, Vukčević (Augusto, 87’), Rafa Silva, Santos, Stoiljkovic (Wilson Eduardo, 75’), Hassan
Unused subs: Marafona, Pinto, Djavan, Joca, Mauro
Head coach: Paulo Fonseca
Shakhtar: Pyatov, Srna (c) Ordets, Rakits’kyy, Ismaily, Stepanenko, Malyshev, Kovalenko (Bernard, 88’), Taison (Dentinho, 79’), Marlos (Eduardo, 82’), Ferreyra
Unused subs: Kanibolotskyi, Nem, Gladkyy, Kryvtsov
Head coach: Mircea Lucescu
Booked: Rakits’kyy (70’), Rafa Silva (83’)
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)
Before the match
Before Shakhtar’s first quarterfinal game, Yaroslav Rakits'kyy had time to recover from injury, whose company in central defence was Ivan Ordets. The rest of the team’s starting line-up were the Europa League knockout stage regulars.
First half
The Portuguese activity in the opening stages had no effect, although Andriy Pyatov was fully engaged in the game as early as the second minute. Soon the Pitmen felt at home at the stadium in Braga, trying to impose their own game onto the host side. For quite a long while it did not work, with Pyatov twice clearing the danger. On 38 minutes, Viktor Kovalenkoearned a free kick for a dangerous foul near the left-hand corner of the penalty box. A shot by Darijo Srna hit the wall. Before the half-time whistle, Kovalenko was very active, rounding Braga defenders to cross it to Marlos in the box. The Brazilian missed the right moment to strike, however the attack led to a corner, which proved effective. After a left-wing delivery, the ball flew to the far post, where Rakits’kyy fired it under the crossbar, with the deflected ball finding the back of the net making it 0-1.
After the break, the opponents stepped it up. Initially, Maksym Malyshev ahd a great chance, hitting the keeper from close range while getting on the end of an Ismaily left cross. The following attack of the Portuguese was no less dangerous: Rafa Silva powerfully struck it from close range only to see the ball bounce off the crossbar and go beyond the bounds. But Donetsk looked confident, get a taste of the attack. Srna crossed it along the goalline from the right, but the ball miraculously missed the target. The hosts managed to put pressure on the Pitmen’s defence only after corner kicks, with Shakhtar’s set pieces carrying a major risk. Connection by Rakits'kyy could again lead to a goal, but Braga goalkeeper cleared the danger. On 75 minutes, Donetsk players scored for the second time, with the attack starting with Pyatov’s long ball to the right flank. There, Srna headed the ball to extend it to Marlos, who saw the lone Facundo Ferreyra in front of goal, with the Argentine skillfully tipping it in past the goalkeeper who cut the angle in an attempt to intercept it – 0-2! The Portuguese looked simply devastated, with the Pitmen still continuing to create chances. However, towards the end of the meeting, the hosts still managed to score when the sub player Wilson Eduardo headed it right into the corner.
