'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Shakhtar fought back from a goal down to beat AS Roma 2-1 at the Metalist Stadium in Kharkiv to take a slender advantage to Rome next month for the second leg.
In what was a frantic start to the game, Turkish forward Cengiz Under put the visitors ahead before the break, but Facundo Ferreyra restored parity when he pounced on some slack defending by the Romans.
Shakhtar continued to grow in the match and Fred then wielded the hammer with a stunning free-kick from the edge of the box that first hit the underside of the bar before nestling into the net.
The Giallorossi huffed and puffed to find the equaliser, but the Miners held on to claim a famous victory and draw the first blood in their last-16 tie. Let's delve into the major talking points.
#1 More reasons to cheer for the war-torn Donetsk
Right from March 2014, the city of Donetsk has been ravaged by an ugly war with the Russians in what is termed as the 'War of Donbass', forcing its premier football club Shakhtar to play their home games in Lviv before moving to Kharkiv in early 2017, a few miles away from Donetsk.
And whilst their league run this season has been considerable, it's their home form in Europe that's truly been a breather for its beleaguered fans.
Manchester City and Napoli both have been to the Metalist but were forced to leave with a defeat earlier in the group stages. AS Roma were up next, and they too, fell to the spirited Miners in what is turning out to be a fortress.
Shakhtar caused ripples when it qualified for the knock-out rounds ahead of the blistering Napoli side, but the latest win comes as a timely reason for the Donetsk fans to cheer while the war at the other end rages on.
#2 Roma lacked the cutting edge to kill off chances
For all their attacking strength with which they've brushed many teams aside, AS Roma were running seriously devoid of cutting edge in the final third having created scores of chances throughout the course of the match.
For starters, Dzeko was wobbly in his first touch from a corner in the sixth minute while Federico Fazio's follow-up from close range was agonizing. Further into the match, the Bosnian then brilliantly laid an inswinging cross for Manolas, but the defender couldn't even head it on target.
Roma's dominion dwindled as the match progressed and so did the control on the ball, as the visitors were gradually pushed on the backfoot. From 15 chances created, Eusebio's side had aimed eight of them on target but lacked the flair to kill off their chances which ultimately, would've killed this tie too.
#3 Injuries rear its ugly head over Kryvtsov again
In what was a potential blow for the hosts at half-time, Sergiy Kryvtsov had to be stretchered off even before the whistle was blown after succumbing to another seemingly serious knee problem. The Ukrainian centre-back lunged into an aerial duel with Dzeko but landed awkwardly that injured his ankle, before eventually being replaced by Ivan Ordets.
Kryvtsov's season threatened to derail when he picked-up a similar problem back in September that kept him out for 122 days, missing as many as 19 matches in the process.
The 26-year-old returned to the scene last week as their season resumed post the winter break, featuring in the league game to mid-table Chornomorets and helping the Donetsk giants to a clean-sheet.
But now, more spell on the sidelines is on the cards for Kryvtsov as he's potentially off for another handful of games and that's a blow for Shakhtar as well.
#4 Cengiz Under is fast becoming the 'Turkish Salah' for Roma
Cengiz Under was one of the few bright spots for Roma in the freezing conditions of Kharkiv as he not only put the visitors ahead in the tie but also helped them fly back with a vital away goal in the process which keeps Roma firmly in the contest.
Roped in from Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir, the 20-year-old took time to settle in but has hit a rich vein of form since the turn of the year, scoring thrice in the previous four games before this one. Under opened his account in Europe in his first appearance as he gave Roma the cushion they meekly conceded.
However, the switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation by manager Eusebio from the much-preferred 4-3-3 has seen extract the best out of the Turkish sensation, who's been on a roll since, and would be vital to Roma's hopes of turning the tie around at home and progressing.
#5 All to play for at the Stadio Olimpico
What was a one-way filibuster, at least on paper, turned completely on its head. But then again, given Shakhtar's impressive form at home as mentioned earlier, this shouldn't be a complete surprise. Roma have themselves to blame as they switched off occasionally at the back and a profound lack of precision in finishing left them undone.
But the tie isn't over yet. A 2-1 defeat may be vexing enough, but certainly not a margin too big to overcome; not least of all for the Giallorossis who are a different beast at home. The 3-0 win over Chelsea in the group stages serves a testimony, and they would look up to that exact game for inspiration.
AS Roma were heavy favourites in this match-up ever since the draw was made, and despite the setback today, stand a good chance of making it to the last eight. Shakhtar, for their part, won't make it any easy though, teasing another compelling encounter at the Stadio Olimpico next month.
