BEVERLY HILLS, December 01, (THEWILL) – The upset of this season’s European football seems to be playing out in real time as Real Madrid are in the very real danger of a dramatic UEFA Champions League group-stage exit. The Spanish giants fell to a 2-nil away defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
Madrid’s chances of qualifying from the group will be out of their hands if Borussia Monchengladbach defeat Inter in the other Group B tie of the day. It is an outcome no one could have seen coming for the 13-time winners.
The Ukrainian outfit beat Madrid in Spain on Matchday one and obtained another victory as hosts courtesy of second-half strikes from substitutes Dentinho and Manor Solomon.
As early as the fifth minute, right winger Marco Asensio believed he had done enough to put Madrid in front. But, he could only look as his close-range strike went out off the post after good work from striker Karim Benzema down the left had created the opportunity.
Benzema, who just returned to the Madrid squad was very busy. He had a shot saved by hardworking home goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin, who then displayed excellent reflexes to deny Asensio after a slick interplay between the Spain international and Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard.
There was not much to show for Shakhtar’s resilience with no shots on target in the first half. This was made worse by an injury to main striker Junior Moraes sustained in an incident that resulted in a booking for centre back Raphael Varane.
Centre back Nacho Fernandes headed an early second half Madrid chance wide after a great move by Benzema to create the opportunity.
Against the run of play, the hosts threatened Thibaut Courtois for the first time after 54 minutes. Left winger Taison Freda surged past Varane and forced the Belgium keeper into a sharp low stop.
Nothing Courtois could do three minutes later when the hosts took the lead. The defense failed to deal with a pass from attacking midfielder Viktor Kovalenko. The ensuing confusion between defenders Ferland Mendy and Varane allowed Dentinho to claim and fire in a left-footed finish.
Chances came and went for both sides without another goal. Varane made a key block to deny Kovalenko and keep Madrid in it, while Trubin thwarted Mendy at the other end to keep Shakhtar in front.
In the 82nd minute, a Shakhtar counter-attack settled the contest. Left winger Manor Solomon drilled a power drive beyond Courtois from 18 yards out after he was allowed acres of space as he carried the ball from his own half.
Shakhtar goalie Trubin made eight saves to keep a famous clean sheet against their illustrious visitors, with his stop from Asensio on the half-hour mark the pick of the bunch at a time Madrid were on top.
The La Liga club is now third in the Group B, behind Shakhtar due to their head-to-head record and a point behind Borussia Monchengladbach, who host Inter later on Tuesday.
For their next game, Madrid are away to Sevilla in La Liga on Saturday. Shakhtar, meanwhile, host FC Minaj on the same day.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
