Shakhtar Donetsk eased to a 2-0 win against Brest in the Champions League on Wednesday, denting the high-flying French side's hopes of earning an automatic spot in the last-16.
First-half goals from Brazilian forward Kevin and Georgiy Sudakov proved the difference as the Ukrainian side won at their adopted home ground in Germany to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knock-outs. "It was a fantastic performance from my team. I'm very proud," said Shakhtar coach Marino Pusic. "We played a very mature game and a fantastic first half. My only complaint is we only scored two goals. We controlled the second half, too, and didn't allow them to come back."
Brest were already assured of a place in at least the play-off round for the last-16 stage before kick-off thanks to their tally of 13 points. Their defeat, only their second in seven outings in Europe this term, placed them at 11th place. "It was a magnificent match to play," said Brest boss Eric Roy. "There was nothing to lose and on the contrary (we could) go and win something fantastic, without any pressure, because... our Champions League, whatever happens, is already a success."
Brest can still secure direct qualification to the round of 16 with a top-eight finish but will need to triumph over reigning champions Real Madrid at home next week to do so. For Shakhtar, the victory moved them provisionally to within one point of a knock-out play-off spot.
Brest has been one of the tournament's revelations, marking their debut season in the Champions League. They had great success leading up to this match, sitting above giants such as Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Manchester City, and compatriots Paris Saint-Germain, yet it was the underdog Shakhtar who struck first.
Centre-half Brendan Chardonnet took a heavy touch from an agricultural clearance, allowing Kevin to steal the ball and finish one-on-one with 18 minutes gone. Another long ball from deep presented Shakhtar with another golden opportunity to double their lead on the half-hour, but Eguinaldo's effort beat Marco Bizot and trickled past the far post.
Seven minutes later, Sudakov added the second with a Panenka penalty, awarded after Bizot took down Irakli Azarov as he ran onto the Ukrainian playmaker's inch-perfect through ball. Brest searched for ways back but struggled to crack Shakhtar's defense. Goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk was swift off his line, effectively dealing with any balls hurled at the box. On the hour, Roy made significant tactical changes, including bringing on the club's top scorer this season, Abdallah Sima, but Shakhtar remained firm.
Oleksandr Zubkov looked to have secured Shakhtar's third deep in injury time, but his goal was disallowed for an earlier foul. Reflecting on the first half, Roy expressed frustrations: "It's incomprehensible how we didn't play at all during the first half-hour. The two goals we conceded were largely avoidable. And I'm not even talking about the first one, because the first one was almost a gag."
With this victory, Shakhtar claimed their second win of the campaign, positioning themselves at 27th place with seven points. Their focus now shifts to securing their future within the Champions League.