An own goal helped Arsenal beat Shakhtar in the Champions League
Shakhtar Donetsk failed to score in their third Champions League match in a row. This has happened before in the Miners' history, but it is little consolation at the moment.
The opening kick-off at the Emirates left no doubt that Arsenal would try to open the scoring as soon as possible. Not more than five minutes had passed, and the hosts had already launched several attacks on the left and right wings, trying to finish them with sharp shots into Shakhtar's penalty area. It was not easy for the Donetsk side. Of course, there was almost no talk of any counter-play - they struggled to get out from under the pressure, the ball did not reach Sikan, and the hosts easily coped with Eghinaldo's attempts to run away.
While Arsenal seemed to be playing with a huge margin, it is worth noting that the goal was could have been prevented. Martinelli easily confused Konoplya, who failed to prevent the Brazilian from getting into a striking position in the penalty area. The ball hit the bar and after touching Riznyk it rolled into the goal.
In the second half, Arsenal's enthusiasm gradually faded. And that gave Shakhtar a certain chance. But the difference in class should not be forgotten: the Miners did more or less well up to the opponent's penalty area. At times, in some stretches, they managed to control the ball longer. But Shakhtar could not find any opportunity to strike at Raya's goal until the final minutes of the game.
Speaking about the chronology of events, of course, we should not forget that everything could have ended in the 77th minute, when VAR referees saw that Bondar had played with his hand in a fight with Trossar. However, Riznyk stopped the shot from the 11-metre mark.
And now we can talk about Pedrinho's shot. In the second added minute, the Brazilian took a shot from outside the box. The ball ricocheted into the bottom corner, but Raya was able to reach the ball and deny the Miners their first goal in the 2024-25 Champions League.
1:0. Arsenal, like any team, can lose. But not this evening. In the next round, Shakhtar have perhaps the most important moment in the current Champions League - the match against Young Boys. There may be no better chance to break their goalless and winless streaks.
2024-25 UEFA Champions League
Arsenal - Shakhtar 1:0 (1:0)
Goals: Riznyk D., 29 (own goal) (1:0)
Arsenal: Raya; Gabriel M.; Calafiori (Lewis-Skelly, 70); Saliba; White B. (Merino, 46); Partey T.; Rice; Havertz; Gabriel Jesus (Sterling, 68); Martinelli; Trossard (Jorginho, 88)
Bench: Neto; Setford; Kiwior; Robinson J.; Zinchenko; Nwaneri; Butler-Oyedeji
Yellow Cards: White B. 34; Martinelli 84
Shakhtar: Riznyk D.; Bondar V.; Konoplya; Matviyenko; Pedrinho A.; Bondarenko A-m (Marlon Gomes, 87); Kryskiv; Sudakov; Eguinaldo (Traoré Las., 84); Zubkov (Pedrinho, 64); Sikan (Kevin, 64)
Bench: Fesiun; Azarov I.; Vinicius Т.; Ghram; Stepanenko; Franjic B.; Newerton; Shved M.
Yellow Cards: Pedrinho A. 96
