A draw with a taste of victory: Shakhtar in the Conference League semi-finals
"Гірники" крокують у півфінал / ФК "Шахтар"
Shakhtar Donetsk advanced to the Conference League semifinals for the first time in its history, defeating Dutch side AZ Alkmaar 4-0. In the return leg, Shakhtar Donetsk drew 2-2 on their opponent’s home field. The overall score was 5-2 in favor of the Ukrainian club.
Shakhtar Donetsk won the first leg against AZ Alkmaar a week ago 3-0. This lead gave them confidence heading into the return match.
AZ itself seemed resigned to the overall defeat, fielding its reserve team. The “Cheesemakers” were focusing on the Dutch Cup final against NEC on April 19 and decided to conserve their strength.
The first half saw Shakhtar hold a slight advantage, with both teams committing numerous fouls. The real action unfolded in the second half. Shakhtar opened the scoring in the 58th minute, effectively ending the match.
However, AZ not only equalized but even took the lead. When the scoreboard showed 2-1 in favor of the hosts, some might have considered a comeback. But the miracle didn’t happen. Meirelles scored his second goal for Shakhtar, making the final score 2-2.
As predicted , the match ended in a high-scoring affair, with Shakhtar claiming a confident aggregate victory. This is the Donetsk club’s first Conference League semifinal. The last time Shakhtar advanced this far in European competition was six years ago, when they lost to Inter Milan in the Europa League semifinals.
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