Shakhtar Donetsk eased to a 2-0 win in opposition to Brest within the Champions League on Wednesday, denting the high-flying French facet’s hopes of incomes an automated spot within the last-16.
First-half objectives from Brazilian ahead Kevin and Georgiy Sudakov proved the distinction because the Ukrainian facet gained at their adopted dwelling floor in Germany to maintain alive their hopes of reaching the knock-outs.
Brest had been already assured of a spot in at the very least the play-off spherical for the last-16 stage earlier than kick-off because of their tally of 13 factors.
Nevertheless, simply their second defeat in seven outings in Europe this time period left them in eleventh place.
Brest can nonetheless guarantee direct qualification to the spherical of 16 with a top-eight end, however should beat reigning champions Actual Madrid at dwelling subsequent week to take action.
For Shakhtar, the victory moved them provisionally to inside one level of a knock-out play-off spot.
The primary huge likelihood of the encounter fell to the Ukrainians as Marlon burst onto a cut-back however noticed his tried backheel flash narrowly broad.
Brest have been one of many revelations of the match of their debut season within the Champions League.
Going into the penultimate spherical of video games, Eric Roy’s facet sat above powerhouses resembling Bayern Munich, Actual Madrid, Manchester Metropolis and compatriots Paris Saint-Germain, nevertheless it was their unfancied opponents who took the lead.
Brest centre-half Brendan Chardonnet took a heavy contact from an agricultural clearance, which allowed Kevin to steal the ball earlier than racing by way of and ending one-on-one with 18 minutes gone.
One other lengthy ball from deep introduced Shakhtar with a golden likelihood to double their lead on the half-hour, Eguinaldo’s effort beating Marco Bizot however trickling the flawed facet of the far put up.
Sudakov did then get a deserved second for Shakhtar seven minutes later with a Panenka penalty, gained after Bizot took out Irakli Azarov as he ran onto the Ukrainian playmaker’s inch-perfect by way of ball.
Brest looked for a approach again into the match within the second interval however struggled to interrupt down Shakhtar’s rearguard, with goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk swift off his line to take care of any balls into the field.
Coach Roy made a triple change on the hour, together with sending on the membership’s topscorer this season Abdallah Sima.
Nevertheless, Shakhtar held agency and Oleksandr Zubkov then regarded to have added a 3rd deep in harm time, however the purpose was disallowed for a foul earlier within the build-up.
The Ukrainian champions’ second win of the marketing campaign moved them as much as twenty seventh place within the standings on seven factors.
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