Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 AEK Athens: a penalty and two late goals from the bench turn it around
Lovro Majer put AEK Athens ahead inside half an hour, but a Pedrinho penalty levelled it before the break and second-half substitutes Vinícius Tobias and Gleiker Mendoza scored late on as Shakhtar Donetsk won 3-1.
Shakhtar Donetsk picked up their first win of this season's Champions League league phase, coming from behind to beat AEK Athens 3-1. Lovro Majer put AEK ahead inside half an hour, but a penalty levelled it before the interval and two goals from Shakhtar substitutes in the final ten minutes turned a tight game into a comfortable one.
Majer scores after being booked, then Shakhtar level
Majer had already been shown a yellow card in the 18th minute before opening the scoring ten minutes later, set up by Stavros Pilios. Shakhtar were level by half-time, Pedrinho converting a 34th-minute penalty, and the game stayed level until a pair of substitutes decided it late on: Vinícius Tobias, assisted by Alisson Santana, put Shakhtar ahead in the 80th minute, and Gleiker Mendoza, set up by Isaque, added a third six minutes later.
Shakhtar's first win lifts them into the top half
Shakhtar had opened the league phase with a 1-1 draw away to PSV Eindhoven. This win takes them to four points from two matches and a positive goal difference, a solid platform heading into the rest of the league phase.
AEK's perfect start ends
AEK had won their opening fixture 1-0 against LASK, and led for most of the first half here before Shakhtar's response turned the game. It is their first defeat of the league phase, and they finish it with four yellow cards shown across the match — Majer, Harold Moukoudi, Razvan Marin and substitute Barnabás Varga all booked.
Match facts
- 28' — Lovro Majer (AEK Athens), assist Stavros Pilios
- 34' — Pedrinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), penalty
- 80' — Vinícius Tobias (Shakhtar Donetsk), assist Alisson Santana
- 86' — Gleiker Mendoza (Shakhtar Donetsk), assist Isaque
- Champions League league phase, matchday 2, Wednesday 14 October 2026
| Stat | Shakhtar Donetsk | AEK Athens |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 54.5% | 45.5% |
| Shots on target | 4 | 3 |
| Corners | 5 | 2 |
| Fouls | 16 | 17 |
| Offsides | 4 | 2 |
| Accurate passes | 403/447 (90%) | 314/368 (85%) |
| Yellow cards | 1 | 4 |
Line-ups
| Shakhtar Donetsk | AEK Athens |
|---|---|
| Riznyk | Brignoli |
| Matviyenko | Relvas |
| Bondar | Moukoudi |
| Ocheretko | Pilios |
| Pedrinho | Rota |
| Tobias | Marin |
| Gomes | Vitális |
| Pedrinho | Koita |
| Newertton | Majer |
| Santana | Jovic |
| Elias | Zini |
What's next
Shakhtar's win moves them into the Champions League knockout play-off places, while AEK Athens stay inside the top half of the 36-club table despite this first defeat. Both sides return to domestic action before the next round of European fixtures.
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