In an unexpected turn of events, Shakhtar Donetsk secured a stunning 1-0 victory over LaLiga champions Barcelona during their Champions League Group H encounter on Tuesday.
Despite Barcelona’s strong start in the competition, winning their first three games, they needed just one point to secure their place in the last 16, but this encounter proved to be a challenging one for the Spanish side.
Barcelona’s manager, Xavi Hernandez, made several changes to the starting lineup, aiming to rest key players. Despite maintaining possession throughout the match, they faced a resilient and well-organized Shakhtar defense, managing only one shot on target throughout the game.
The unexpected hero of the night was 22-year-old Danylo Sikan, who provided Shakhtar with a shock lead in the 40th minute. Sikan’s towering header, leaping behind defender Andreas Christensen to meet a cross from Giorgi Gocholeishvili on the right touchline, eluded the grasp of Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the Barcelona goal.
After halftime, Gocholeishvili had a powerful strike saved by Ter Stegen, who showed brilliant reflexes by using his right foot to thwart a close-range effort from Sikan in the 52nd minute. Newerton had a goal ruled out for offside later in the game.
Barcelona couldn’t pose a significant threat to Shakhtar’s goalkeeper, Dmytro Riznyk, until Xavi made a quartet of substitutions in the 60th minute. João Félix and Lamine Yamal were introduced from the bench to provide a much-needed spark.
However, despite the late pressure, Shakhtar held their ground to clinch the crucial three points.
Xavi expressed his frustration, stating, “The Champions League demands the highest level, and today we didn’t deliver. We leave here disappointed. Intensity? No, today it was due to our performance; we didn’t play well. We need to recover and improve.”
Barcelona still leads Group H with nine points from four games, with a three-point advantage over Porto and Shakhtar. Porto, who have a game in hand, are set to face Antwerp, a team yet to secure any points, later on Tuesday.