October 5, (THEWILL) – Real Madrid defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 at Santiago Bernabeu to make it three wins in a row in the UEFA Champions League so far this season.
In the first half, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior scored the goals for the hosts to help the defending champions keep their perfect record in Group F intact.
Only two of Madrid’s 36 efforts on target were successful, and the team was barely hanging on after Oleksandr Zubkov cut the deficit before halftime. The visitors’ resilience was largely due to an outstanding performance by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.
The result means that midway into the group phase, Carlo Ancelotti’s team have moved five points in front of their Ukrainian rivals and six ahead of Salzburg in third place. Only an incredible collapse for the holders will keep them from booking their place in the last 16.
Next week’s rematch in Warsaw will see the two teams rekindle their battle. That will be something to look forward to because Shakhtar’s scheduled Ukrainian Premier League match against Lviv has been rescheduled, while Madrid’s scheduled La Liga trip to Getafe on Saturday has been postponed.
About the Author
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.
