Real Madrid salvage draw against Donetsk with last minute equaliser in Poland

The European Champions Real Madrid left it very late to secure an away point with a 95th minute goal against Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk in Warsaw in the UEFA Champions League group stage.

Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)

A crowd of 34,000 was packed into the stadium to witness a great performance from the Ukrainian team, who are in many ways playing on emotion and heart as much as anything.
Shakhtar never stopped running and never stopped putting pressure on the Madrid defence, not giving them time to breath on the ball.

The stand-out player on the pitch was the Shakhtar number 10 Mudryk, an out and out winger with loads of pace and energy who tormented the Madrid defence all night.

However for the first 20 minutes Madrid had control of the match. Benzema had a strike saved and Rodryo had a chance to put Madrid ahead but Trubin pushed it wide of the post.

The second half came alive straight after the kick off with the home team making the break through. Oleksandr Zubkov pulled away from Mendy and headed the ball past Madrid’s second keeper Lunin to make it 1-0 to Shakhtar.

Shakhtar almost doubled their lead shortly after when a fumble from the Madrid keeper dropped to Traore who hit the Cross bar from close range.

Madrid brought Junior, Modric, Alaba and Asensio on to really put the pressure on but it looked like the Ukraine Champions were going to hang on for an unlikely victory.

However in the 95th minute Kroos crossed a ball in and the Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger was very brave to get a flick on it to put it in the back of the net. The keeper came steaming out and clattered into Rudiger who had just managed to get to the ball a spilt second earlier. Following the goal and collision Rudiger stayed down for several minutes to receive treatment.

The point secures Madrid’s place in the last 16 of the Champions League while Shakhtar will battle it out with Leipzig for the remaining place in Group F’s last two matches.