Sheriff Tiráspol starred in the dream debut in the Champions League by defeating Shaktar (2-0) with two great goals, one at each half, that surprised a fragile Ukrainian team.
Two African forwards, Traoré and Yansane, gave the Moldovan team victory after two measured passes from the Brazilian winger Cristiano, the best player of the match.
The Moldovans showed that their historic qualification for the ‘Champions’ was not accidental. With this victory, they now have nine games without losing, with seven wins and two draws, since the preliminary phase of the competition.
At the end of the month, the Cinderella from Group D will travel to the Santiago Bernabeu to face Real Madrid with three points under her belt.
The local coach, the Ukrainian Yuri Vernydub, initially opted for the Peruvian-Colombian duo Dulanto-Arboleda in the center of defense. Life insurance throughout the game.
The Sheriff jumped onto the pitch without Moldovan footballers in the starting eleven, as nationalized Brazilian Luvannor Henrique left the team for the Saudi league just after qualifying brilliantly for the ‘Champions’ group stage.
Meanwhile, the Italian Roberto de Zerbi, coach of the Ukrainian ‘miners’, lined up eight Brazilians and the African Lassina Traore as the most advanced player.
The visitors dominated the game from the opening whistle. The Moldovans resisted all the attacks and tried to catch the back of the Ukrainian defense with long passes.
In this way, after a quarter of an hour, the left-handed winger Cristiano took advantage of a loose ball to cross the entire band and center to the heart of the area, where the Malian Adama Traoré finished off acrobatic with his left leg beating Pyatov, who could do more ( min.16).
The Sheriff drew and dialed first. The Shakhtar looked knocked out. Only Pedrinho tried from outside the area.
Another Traoré, Lassina, had the tie in his boots after half an hour. He received the ball inside the area and shot with power, but the Greek Athnasiadis managed to clear for a corner.
The Moldovans did not just defend. In fact, if not for a couple of bad controls, they could have scored a second goal.
The Brazilians from Shakhtar put the technique and the Sheriff’s footballers put pressure on the entire court and quick transitions. The first part was taken by the locals by the minimum.
In the second part the ‘miners’ went all out. Newcomer Marlos was able to equalize with a shot placed five minutes after the restart, but the Sheriff’s Greek goalkeeper was again flawless.
Fernando also tried from outside the area with a thread shot after cutting Thill, but he went high. The siege continued. Dulanto and Arboleta were still standing.
The occasions followed one another. Athanasiadis flew back to the left post to clear a low shot from Pedrinho. Dodo headed out from a corner. Shakhtar created more opportunities in the opening minutes of the second half than in the first half. The tie seemed a matter of time.
But the golden rule of soccer was fulfilled once again. He who forgives … pays it.
As in the first half, Cristiano appeared on the left wing, looked up and placed the ball like a glove on the forehead of the Guinean Yasmane, who scored a great goal with a header (min.62).
The rest of the match was an exercise in the Shakhtar’s helplessness. The fans of Tiráspol, capital of the separatist Moldovan republic of Transnistria, did not believe it. The end of the game was a party.
The captain of the team, the Colombian Castañeda, wanted to join the party, but his shot after a book counterattack was cleared by Pyatov with the tips of his fingers.
Following this victory, the Sheriff is licensed to dream.
– Data sheet:
2 – Sheriff Tiráspol: Athanasiadis; Fernando Costanza, Arboleda, Dulanto, Cristiano; Thill, Addo (Radeljic, min.85), Adema Traoré, Kolovos (Yansane, min.55), Castañeda (Nikolov, min.85); and Yakhshibóev (Bruno, min.67).
0 – Shakhtar Donetsk: Pyatov; Ismaily, Matviyenko, Marlon, Dodo; Maycon, Marcos Antonio (Alan Patrick, min.65), Tete (Marlos, min.46); Fernando (Mudryk, min.65), Pedrinho and Lassina Traoré.
Goals: 1-0, min.16: Adama Traoré. 2-0, min.62: Yansane.
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (GER). He admonished Dulanto.
Incidents: match corresponding to the first day of Group D of the Champions League played at the Sheriff Stadion in Tiráspol before several thousand spectators. EFE (HN)