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Zorya 1-2 Shakhtar

Sunday, April 2, 2017

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FCSD

In the major game of the Premier League round 23, Shakhtar faced Zorya

2016/17 Ukrainian League. 23rd round.

April 2, 2017. Zaporizhya. Slavutych Arena. Attn: 9,500. +11oC.

Zorya Luhansk 1-2 (1-1) Shakhtar Donetsk

Goals: 0-1 Bonaventure (31), 1-1 Blanco Leschuk (36), 1-2 Taison (63)

Zorya: A. Shevchenko, Opanasenko, Checher (Pylyavskyi, 60), Forster, Sukhotskyi (Lipartia, 79), Chaikovskyi (c), Hordiyenko, Kharatin (Ljubenovic, 60), Paulinho, Bonaventure, Kalitvintsev

Unused subs: Levchenko,Shalfeev, Babenko, Kadymyan

Head coach: Yuriy Vernydub

Shakhtar: Pyatov, Srna (c), Ordets, Rakits’kyy, Ismaily, Stepanenko, Malyshev, Marlos (Kovalenko, 78), Taison, Bernard (Zubkov, 90+3), Blanco Leschuk (Kucher, 89)

Unused subs: M. Shevchenko, Butko, Alan Patrick, Ferreyra

Head coach: Paulo Fonseca

Booked: Ordets (12), Sukhotskyi (16), Checher (44), Ismaily (53), Rakits’kyy (56), Srna (70), Chaikovskyi (81), Malyshev (90+1), Pyatov (90+5)

Sent off: Rakits’kyy (87, second booking)

Referee: Dmytro Kutakov (Kyiv Oblast)

Before the match

The Pitmen opened the second stage of the league season after the international break with an away game vs Zorya Luhansk. Compared to the most recent game against Olimpik, Paulo Fonseca has made only one change in the starting line-up: instead of Serhii Kryvtsov, he brought Yaroslav Rakits’kyy back to the starting XI.
 
First half

The hosts started quite actively, with the Orange-and-Blacks being forced to stand the opponents’ pressure early in the game. Only some time later, the Donetsk team managed to establish ball control, with Zorya players not parking the bus. In general, the teams acted quite cautiously, with next to zero clear-cut chances occurring. Shakhtar had an active left wing featuring Ismaily. Gustavo Blanco Leschuk imposed his play onto the opposing defenders. The Pitmen’s successful move happened in the 24th minute, when after playing a set piece Ismaily delivered it in the penalty area for Taras Stepanenko, with the Luhansk goalkeeper rushing out immaculately. A very short time passed before Dennis Bonaventure had a chance to excel. The forward of Zorya made it past Ivan Ordets, beat Andriy Pyatov and opened the scoring. However, the Donetsk side quickly made it level.

In the 36th minute, Ismaily delivered it right to Gustavo Blanco Leschuk, with the Argentine heading it just home – 1-1
In the 36th minute, Ismaily delivered it right to Gustavo Blanco Leschuk, with the Argentine heading it just home – 1-1. The closing minutes of the first half saw mutual attacks, with the sides still leaving for the break with the same figures on the scoreboard.
 
Second half

From the opening minutes, Shakhtar players raised the pace and quickly seized the initiative.
The opponents did not seem to be ready for that, with Taison’s move being successful after a number of the Pitmen’s threatening attacks. On 63 minutes, Yaroslav Rakits’kyy finely put the Brazilian through to find himself one-on-one with Oleksii Shevchenko, with the number 28 easily beating the goalkeeper and striking it past three defenders who were trying to keep the goal intact
The opponents did not seem to be ready for that, with Taison’s move being successful after a number of the Pitmen’s threatening attacks. On 63 minutes, Yaroslav Rakits’kyy finely put the Brazilian through to find himself one-on-one with Oleksii Shevchenko, with the number 28 easily beating the goalkeeper and striking it past three defenders who were trying to keep the goal intact. The goal did not change the game pattern, with the Pitmen continuing to put pressure on the Zorya goal. On 78 minutes, Paulo Fonseca fielded Viktor Kovalenko instead of Marlos. The ending of the meeting turned quite emotional. On 87 minutes, Yaroslav Rakitskyy earned his second yellow card after a game episode. Shakhtar's head coach immediately reacted by replacing Gustavo Blanco Leschuk with Oleksandr Kucher. In the dying minutes, the hosts tried to save the situation, but the expertly defensive performance allowed the Donetsk team to emerge victorious.

The next match will be held on April 5. In the Ukrainian Cup last 8, the Orange-and-Blacks will play Poltava away. The game kicks off at 14:00.