A victory in honour of the Mister
Thursday, April 9, 2026
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Shakhtar hosted Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals
Shakhtar head coach Arda Turan selected the following line-up for the match: Riznyk was in goal, Matviienko and Bondar started in central defence, Vinicius Tobias and Pedro Henrique operated on the flanks, Ocheretko, Isaque and Pedrinho formed the midfield, Alisson and Newerton were deployed as wingers, with Kaua Elias playing as centre-forward.
Before kick-off, both teams and the stands observed a minute of silence in memory of legendary Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu. The Miners took to the pitch wearing black armbands in mourning.
FC Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov was present at the stadium, attending the team’s match in person for the first time in almost 12 years.
Cautious football before the break
The match began with a worrying moment: early on, Isaque suffered a head injury following a heavy challenge with an opponent; although the Brazilian returned to the pitch after receiving medical treatment, he was eventually substituted midway through the half for Bondarenko. The game was played with shifting momentum, but clear chances were few and far between. Pedrinho’s overhead attempt and Ocheretko’s blocked follow-up stood out. At the other end, Riznyk prevented Smit from curling the ball directly from a corner, while Sadiq fired wide. In the final minute of the half, Alisson created the most dangerous opportunity, but his long-range effort from the rebound was saved by the away goalkeeper.
Pedrinho’s goal and Alisson’s brace secured the result
The second half was more entertaining. Right from the start, both teams exchanged chances: Pedrinho struck the crossbar from a free-kick, while Patati nearly chipped Riznyk on the counterattack. Kaua Elias had a chance, but Zoet pulled off a save to keep out his shot from under the bar. The Miners opened the scoring in the 72nd minute: Pedrinho received the ball on the right flank and produced a stunning shot into the far top corner, making it 1-0. Immediately afterwards, the coaching staff made a double substitution, bringing on Eguinaldo and Traore. Soon after, AZ Alkmaar nearly scored in similar fashion, but Riznyk parried Mijnans’ powerful volley from the top corner. However, the Orange-and-Blacks extended their lead in the closing stages. In the 81st minute, Pedrinho delivered a corner from the left, Bondar headed it across goal and Alisson finished at the far post – 2-0. Two minutes later, Traore and Eguinaldo set up Alisson for an empty-net finish as he completed his brace.
3-0 – Shakhtar produced a brilliant victory over AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of the tie.
The return leg of the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals between AZ Alkmaar and Shakhtar will take place in the Netherlands on April 16. The match at the AZ Stadion kicks off at 19:45 Kyiv time.
Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 AZ Alkmaar
Kraków, Henryk Reyman Municipal Stadium, att.: 9,004
Goals: 1-0 Pedrinho (72′), 2-0 Alisson (81′), 3-0 Alisson (83′)
Shakhtar: Riznyk, Vinicius Tobias, Bondar, Matviienko (c), Pedro Henrique, Isaque (Bondarenko, 24′), Ocheretko, Pedrinho (Nazaryna, 89′), Alisson (Konoplia, 89′), Newerton (Eguinaldo, 74′), Kaua Elias (Traore, 74′)
Before kick-off, both teams and the stands observed a minute of silence in memory of legendary Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu. The Miners took to the pitch wearing black armbands in mourning.
FC Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov was present at the stadium, attending the team’s match in person for the first time in almost 12 years.
Cautious football before the break
The match began with a worrying moment: early on, Isaque suffered a head injury following a heavy challenge with an opponent; although the Brazilian returned to the pitch after receiving medical treatment, he was eventually substituted midway through the half for Bondarenko. The game was played with shifting momentum, but clear chances were few and far between. Pedrinho’s overhead attempt and Ocheretko’s blocked follow-up stood out. At the other end, Riznyk prevented Smit from curling the ball directly from a corner, while Sadiq fired wide. In the final minute of the half, Alisson created the most dangerous opportunity, but his long-range effort from the rebound was saved by the away goalkeeper.
Pedrinho’s goal and Alisson’s brace secured the result
The second half was more entertaining. Right from the start, both teams exchanged chances: Pedrinho struck the crossbar from a free-kick, while Patati nearly chipped Riznyk on the counterattack. Kaua Elias had a chance, but Zoet pulled off a save to keep out his shot from under the bar. The Miners opened the scoring in the 72nd minute: Pedrinho received the ball on the right flank and produced a stunning shot into the far top corner, making it 1-0. Immediately afterwards, the coaching staff made a double substitution, bringing on Eguinaldo and Traore. Soon after, AZ Alkmaar nearly scored in similar fashion, but Riznyk parried Mijnans’ powerful volley from the top corner. However, the Orange-and-Blacks extended their lead in the closing stages. In the 81st minute, Pedrinho delivered a corner from the left, Bondar headed it across goal and Alisson finished at the far post – 2-0. Two minutes later, Traore and Eguinaldo set up Alisson for an empty-net finish as he completed his brace.
3-0 – Shakhtar produced a brilliant victory over AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of the tie.
The return leg of the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals between AZ Alkmaar and Shakhtar will take place in the Netherlands on April 16. The match at the AZ Stadion kicks off at 19:45 Kyiv time.
Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 AZ Alkmaar
Kraków, Henryk Reyman Municipal Stadium, att.: 9,004
Goals: 1-0 Pedrinho (72′), 2-0 Alisson (81′), 3-0 Alisson (83′)
Shakhtar: Riznyk, Vinicius Tobias, Bondar, Matviienko (c), Pedro Henrique, Isaque (Bondarenko, 24′), Ocheretko, Pedrinho (Nazaryna, 89′), Alisson (Konoplia, 89′), Newerton (Eguinaldo, 74′), Kaua Elias (Traore, 74′)
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