Shakhtar survive scare to advance
Wednesday 8 August 2007
by Igor Linnyk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk survived a first-half scare before
coming back to defeat ten-man Armenian champions FC
Pyunik and earn a meeting with Austrian champions FC
Salzburg in the third qualifying round of the UEFA
Champions League.
Decisive goals
Shakhtar had brought a 2-0 lead back to Ukraine from
Yerevan last week and just as in the Armenian capital,
strikes from Olexandr Gladkiy and Brandão proved
decisive at the RSC Olympiyskiy Stadium after the
hosts had conceded an early Gevorg Ghazaryan goal.
Shakhtar comeback
Mircea Lucescu’s side, who reached the group stage
last season, were behind after 32 minutes when
Ghazaryan headed in Agvan Lazarian’s cross and Pyunik
might have levelled the tie overall when Felix
Hzeina’s shot shaved the crossbar. Shakhtar resisted,
however, and after substitutes Jadson Rodriguez and
Gladkiy had entered the fray they began to dictate
matters, scoring either side of half-time. Brandão hit
a powerful shot in at the near post, before combining
with Jadson to set up Gladkiy for a volleyed finish.
Pyunik’s disappointment was compounded when they were
forced to play most of the second half with ten men
following a red card for Artur Yedigaryan.
uefa.com