Shakhtar Donetsk Secure First Champions League Win of the Season with 2-1 Victory Over Young Boys

Shakhtar Donetsk claimed their first win of the Champions League season, defeating Young Boys 2-1 at home to hand the Swiss side their fourth consecutive loss in the competition. Despite a strong start by the visitors, Shakhtar’s clinical finishing and disciplined second-half display earned them a deserved three points.

Young Boys took the lead against the run of play in the 27th minute. A poor pass by Shakhtar’s Bondarenko was intercepted by Niasse, who fed the ball to Imeri. The striker advanced to the edge of the box and placed his shot into the bottom corner, leaving Shakhtar goalkeeper Trubin wrong-footed.

However, Shakhtar responded quickly. Just four minutes later, a ball across the six-yard box was finished by Zubkov to equalize. Before the break, Shakhtar completed their turnaround with a stunning long-range strike by Sudakov in the 41st minute. The assist for the first goal turned scorer with his clinical shot into the far corner, leaving Young Boys’ keeper unable to stretch far enough to stop it.

The second half saw Shakhtar take complete control of the match, demonstrating excellent game management to preserve their lead. Despite holding 51% possession, Young Boys struggled to break down the Shakhtar defense, failing to generate any real chances aside from their goal. Their xG of 0.96 reflected their lack of cutting edge, with their solitary shot on target coming from Imeri’s opener. In contrast, Shakhtar had six shots on target from 17 attempts, leading to an xG of 1.85, underlining their dominance in creating opportunities.

With the win, Shakhtar remain in the hunt for a playoff position in their Champions League group, while Young Boys are left teetering on the brink of elimination, having struggled to find form in their European campaign.