MY ACCOUNT
Real Madrid made it three wins from three in the Champions League after seeing off Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 at Santiago Bernabeu.
Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior were on target in the first half as the reigning champions maintained their perfect start in Group F.
Having converted only two of 35 shots on goal – thanks mainly to an inspired performance by Shakhtar goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin – Madrid were hanging on after Oleksandr Zubkov halved the deficit before the break.
Nevertheless, Carlo Ancelotti’s side moved five points clear of their Ukrainian opponents at the Group F summit.
The hosts broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when the ball ricocheted kindly for Rodrygo, whose 20-yard drive was too hot for Trubin to handle.
Rodrygo turned provider as Vinicius doubled the lead 15 minutes later, exchanging passes with Karim Benzema before sliding the ball through for his compatriot, who clinically swept home.
Madrid threatened a third goal with Trubin denying Benzema, Federico Valverde and Vinicius, who also had an effort cleared off the line, before the visitors pulled one back against the run of play as Zubkov emphatically volleyed in Bohdan Mykhaylichenko’s pinpoint cross.
Mykhaylo Mudryk squandered a glorious opportunity to drag Shakhtar level eight minutes after the restart.
Following a swift counter, the winger was stifled out by Ferland Mendy and Andriy Lunin after opting to cut inside rather than shoot.
Madrid looked to restore their two-goal advantage with Rodrygo and Vinicius drawing smart reflexes out of Trubin, while Marco Asensio’s deflected effort hit the post, but they ultimately did not require a third goal to see out a victory that keeps them perfect at the top of the Group.
