Shakhtar Donetsk achieved a 3-1 victory against Poland’s Lech Poznań in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League Round of 16 match. This encounter marked the Ukrainian club’s first European match of the year, having qualified directly for this stage after finishing sixth in the main round standings.
In contrast, Lech had participated in a playoff round in February, successfully advancing by defeating Finnish club KuPS with aggregate scores of 2-0 and 1-0.
Match Overview
- Shakhtar was forced to make an early substitution in the first half when Dmitry Kryskiv was injured in the 27th minute, leading to Marlon Gomes taking his place.
- Shortly thereafter, Marlon opened the scoring for Shakhtar. After half an hour of play, he received a back-heeled assist from Kauno Elias and converted the chance against the goalkeeper, making it 1-0.
- The teams went into halftime with Shakhtar leading by a single goal. Just three minutes into the second half, Shakhtar doubled their lead when Everton scored, capitalizing on a lack of defensive pressure in the opponent’s penalty area.
- Lech managed to reduce the deficit in the 70th minute. Following a spectacular save by Shakhtar’s goalkeeper, Dmitry Riznyk, on a close-range shot, forward Mikael Ishak found the net for the hosts, making the score 1-2.
- Shakhtar restored their two-goal advantage late in the match when another substitute, Izaki, scored with an impressive overhead kick.
Match Details
Lech Poznań – Shakhtar Donetsk 1:3
Goals: Ishak, 70 – Marlon Gomes, 36; Everton, 48; Izaki, 85
The return leg is scheduled for Thursday, March 19, in Kraków, Poland. The winner of this matchup will face either Dutch club AZ or Czech team Sparta in the quarter-finals.
Shakhtar Donetsk's 3-1 win over Lech Poznań in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League Round of 16 sets the stage for a decisive return match. The Ukrainian club demonstrated resilience and tactical proficiency, with key contributions from substitutes.