Real Madrid ensured that they would qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League as Group A winners following a 4-3 success over Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine on Wednesday.
A double from Cristiano Ronaldo and goals from Luka Modric and Dani Carvajal saw the visitors take a 4-0 lead, which stood entering the final 15 minutes of the contest.
Shakhtar scored three times in the final 13 minutes, however, with an Alex Teixeira brace and a close-range finish from Dentinho setting up a grandstand finish at the Arena Lviv.
Real Madrid managed to hold out in stoppage time to secure the win they needed to finish ahead of Paris Saint-Germain in the section.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two teams.
Match statistics
SHAKHTAR
Shots: 10
On target: 3
Possession: 45%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 10
REAL MADRID
Shots: 19
On target: 8
Possession: 55%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 14
Was the result fair?
Shakhtar had three shots on target in this match and scored three times, which is just an incredible statistic. One look at the scoreline would suggest that this was a topsy-turvy match that Real Madrid just shaded, but that was just not the case. Real Madrid were dominant in the first period and deserved to take a 1-0 lead into the break and when Modric made it two early in the second half, it should have been game over. If two was not enough, Carvajal made it 3-0 in the 52nd minute and Real Madrid were flying as they looked to match Barcelona's six goals from Tuesday against Roma.
Shakhtar had other plans, however, and had one back in the 77th minute when Teixeira converted from the penalty spot, before Dentinho made it 4-2 in the 83rd minute. At that point, Real Madrid were still comfortable, but Teixeira's second two minutes from time made the stadium erupt. In truth, the hosts did not really have any chances to secure a point in the latter stages, but having been 4-0 down, a 4-3 defeat will be seen as a very good result. There is no doubt that Real Madrid deserved to collect all the points when all was said and done, but sloppy defending and a lack of concentration so nearly cost them late on.
Shakhtar's performance
Shakhtar have been really hit-and-miss in this season's competition , losing their first three matches but beating Malmo 4-0 last time out. They are a team that clearly has quality in the final third, but the fact that they have now conceded 12 times in Group A is an indication of their troubles. The hosts were fortunate not to fall behind inside the opening three minutes when Ronaldo found himself inside the box, but the attacker fired over from close range. The Ukrainian outfit did improve as the first period developed, but they did not have a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes and deserved to enter the interval behind, with Ronaldo converting from close range after Gareth Bale had beaten Andriy Pyatov to the ball.
It might be quite a strange statement, but Shakhtar actually started the second period quite well. They moved the ball a lot quicker in the final third, but the game was taken away from them in the space of two minutes, with Modric converting from inside the box before a Carvajal cross ended up in the back of the net. They were struggling at that point and when Ronaldo scored his second 20 minutes from time, Shakhtar were a shambles. A host of changes from both teams made it a second half with few chances aside from the goals, but the hosts had a route back into the match in the 77th minute when Casemiro clumsily brought Taison to the ground and Teixeira stepped up to send his spot kick into the bottom corner.
Inspired by Taison, who entered the match just past the hour, the hosts continued to flood forward and managed a second when Dentinho chested home following a header from Taras Stepanenko. The supporters were buying into the idea of a comeback and Teixeira made it 4-3 in the 88th minute when he picked out the bottom corner from inside the box. It was an incredible period of the match for Shakhtar, but they ultimately left themselves with too much to do. They can no longer qualify for the round of 16 in this competition, but currently sit ahead of Malmo in the race to finish third and indeed secure a spot in the Europa League.
Real Madrid's performance
Following El Clasico at the weekend, Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez rung the changes, with only Raphael Varane, Modric, Ronaldo and Bale keeping their spots in the XI. Injuries to Marcelo and Sergio Ramos did force Benitez's hand, but the likes of James Rodriguez, Karim Benzema and Toni Kroos remained on the bench. It was a decision that looked to be a good one in the early stages as Los Blancos started full of intensity, with Ronaldo passing up a couple of early opportunities during a period where the visitors were in complete control. Ronaldo made no mistake in the 18th minute when he headed home from inside the box and at that point, the team looked ready to respond from the Barcelona defeat.
The first half was a story of one goal and some decent pressure from the home team, but the second period is where it all happened. As mentioned, by the 52nd minute, Real Madrid were 3-0 ahead. First, Modric found the back of the net from inside the box, before Carvajal burst forward and sent a cross over the head of the Shakhtar goalkeeper. Bale's link with Ronaldo continued to impress in the second half and it was again the Welshman that set up his teammate for 4-0. With little over 20 minutes of action remaining, it appeared that Real Madrid had put down a marker in the competition.
The visitors just fell apart late on, however, with Casemiro's clumsy challenge handing Shakhtar a penalty, before non-existent marking from a corner allowed the home side to score a second. Varane's first-half injury meant that Nacho had to be moved inside and a back four of Carvajal, Pepe, Nacho and Danilo just did not look comfortable, while Kiko Casilla was hardly commanding between the sticks. In the end, Real Madrid got away with it and indeed made sure of finishing first in the section, but it was not quite what Benitez would have had in mind when the score was 4-0. Defensively, Real Madrid will have to improve if they are to be serious challengers once again. Barcelona and Bayern Munich will not have been impressed.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Cristiano Ronaldo: The 30-year-old's form has been called into question in recent weeks, but he showed that he is still Real Madrid's main man with a double in Ukraine. The Portuguese was a threat throughout the contest and also did brilliantly to set up Modric and indeed Carvajal in the second period. Two goals and two assists made it a super night for the attacker, who once again aimed daggers at his defenders late on.
Biggest gaffe
There were a number of incidents that could be picked out in this particular category, but Real Madrid's defending in the latter stages was almost comical. Shakhtar's second came from a Bernard corner, which Stepanenko met at the near post and Dentinho had all the time in the world to fall onto the ball and chest it over the line. The space the Brazilian had was just incredible, especially during a period of Shakhtar dominance.
Referee performance
It was a busy night for Dutch referee Bas Nijhuis, but he put in a good performance. The 38-year-old only issued three yellow cards in Ukraine and was also correct to award Shakhtar a late penalty due to Casemiro's clumsiness inside the box. For the most part, the official was prepared to let the play flow and he was not actually seen for long spells, which is always a good sign.
What next?
Shakhtar: Shakhtar will return to league action away to Hoverla on Sunday. The Ukrainian outfit will complete their Champions League Group A campaign away to Paris Saint-Germain on December 8. No longer able to qualify for the round of 16, Shakhtar will have their eyes on third position and a spot in the Europa League.
Real Madrid: Los Blancos will attempt to bounce back from successive league defeats at the weekend when they travel to surprise package Eibar. They will also complete their Group A campaign on December 8 with a home match against Malmo, who could also still finish third in the section.
Matt Law
