Rapid’s Louis Schaub, left, and Shakhtar’s Marlos challenge for the ball during their UEFA Champions League play-off first leg soccer match between SK Rapid Wien and FC Shakhtar Donetsk in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, August 19, 2015.
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The first leg of the 2015/2016 Champions League playoffs has concluded with the likes of Valencia, Monaco, Shakhtar Donetsk and Celtic in action.
Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu said after the game: “It appears to be a very serious injury”. “Rapid was physically strong but we dominated the first half”.
But the visitors equalised through El Arabi Hilal Soudani and then sealed victory thanks to a second-half stoppage-time victor from Josip Pivaric.
Skenderbeu, who are looking to become the first Albanian side to reach the Champions League group stages, took the lead through captain Blendi Shkembi, who curled in a stunning free-kick from the edge of the box.
Shakhtar were able to hold out and go into next week’s second leg on home soil in pole position to make the group stages. Rapid gave an unbelieveable performance in the last round to get through as they put in two terrific performances to beat Ajax over the two legs. “We could have taken the lead, and we could have scored the equalizer. I think my team can do that”. A mixup in the Rapid defence was rescued by goalkeeper Ján Novota when he denied Olexandr Gladkiy from close range, though opposite number Andriy Pyatov outdid the home No1 three minutes before the interval with a superb, one-handed reflex stop from Schaub’s volley.
The almost sold-out Ernst Happel Stadium erupted in the 10th minute when many fans believed Rapid scored but Mario Pavelic’s shot, which was deflected by Rakitskiy, landed in the side netting.
Shakhtar midfielder Taras Stepanenko was carried off the field on a stretcher and hospitalized after he and Rapid’s Srdan Grahovac slammed their heads just before halftime.
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Shakhtar had lost both its previous matches in Austria – 5-1 against Austria Vienna in 2002 and 3-1 against Salzburg four years later.
