UCL: Arda Turan secures his first European victory

14.10.26 FT Champions League

Shakhtar Donetsk

3

:

AEK Athens

1

Arda Turan has reached an important milestone in his young coaching career. On Wednesday evening, Shakhtar Donetsk beat AEK Athens (3-1) on matchday two of the Champions League league phase. The victory represents Turan’s first win in the competition as a head coach.

Shakhtar turn the game around against AEK late on

The match, played at Stamford Bridge in London, began with a Greek opener. Lovro Majer put AEK ahead in the 28th minute, before Pedrinho equalised from the penalty spot six minutes later. The two teams then spent a long period searching for a breakthrough. Shakhtar had to wait until the final minutes to make the difference.

In the 80th minute, Vinícius Tobias put the Ukrainians ahead with a shot from a tight angle. Six minutes later, Gleiker Mendoza sealed the victory with a powerful strike after cutting onto his left foot. Thanks to this victory, Shakhtar moved onto four points after two matchdays, while AEK remain on three.

“A victory that keeps our dream alive”

After the match, Arda Turan acknowledged that his team had sometimes been overwhelmed by their emotions and lacked aggression in the duels. However, he praised his players’ response and their ability to regain control of the ball. The Turkish coach described the victory as an important one for maintaining the club’s European ambitions.

He also highlighted the symbolic significance of this performance, as Shakhtar cannot play their European home matches in Ukraine because of the war. The club are temporarily hosting their opponents at Stamford Bridge. Shakhtar will now have to confirm this momentum in their next European fixture, with a trip to Inter Milan on 21 October.

Aliou Toundé |

Editorfr

Related teams and leagues

Shakhtar Donetsk

AEK Athens

Champions League