ABERDEEN 2 SHAKHTAR DONETSK 3 Thursday 2 October 2025 UEFA Conference League | Matchday 1 | League Phase Pittodrie Stadium Attendance: 15504 Referee: Duje Strukan
Shakhtar Donetsk might be one of the favourites to win the Conference League, but if they did lift the trophy next May, they won’t have had a tougher game than the Dons gave them in a proper, pulsating European night at Pittodrie.
Jimmy Thelin made five changes from the side beaten at Motherwell last Saturday for the first UEFA Conference League 25/26 League Phase fixture. Graeme Shinnie, Emmanuel Gyamfi, Adil Aouchiche and Kevin Nisbet were on the bench, with Kristers Tobers out injured. In came Leighton Clarkson, Topi Keskinen, Marko Lazetic, Stuart Armstrong and Alfie Dorrington, back in the European squad under a new rule because of Tobers’ injury. Dante Polvara, Kusini Yengi, Gavin Molloy, Dylan Lobban and Rodrigo Vitols were added to the bench, Kenan Bilalovic and Alexander Jensen dropping out. Nicky Devlin skippered the side.
On a blustery evening, the Dons opened with Lazetic, Clarkson and Jesper Karlsson pressing the Shakhtar back four amid a raucous Pittodrie atmosphere. That press won the Dons a first corner in the sixth minute in front of the RDS. Karlsson’s driven ball into the near post brought roars for handball, and though the referee had to go to the monitor for a VAR review, a handball was given against Elias – penalty kick.
Karlsson was given the responsibility, only for the wind to blow the ball off the spot, just to ratchet the tension up a level. No matter. Karlsson stepped up and buried it into the bottom corner. No goalkeeper was ever saving that even if Riznyk did go the right way to his right.
Seconds later, Riznyk played a ball out straight to Clarkson 35 yards out, but he snatched at his shot and pulled it wide of the target, a big opportunity missed for Aberdeen.
Matviyenko had Shakhtar’s first shot at goal – from 10 yards inside his own half. Seeing Dimitar Mitov off his line, he tried to capitalise, but the effort drifted well wide of goal.
The visitors won their first corner on 13, the ball in beating everybody to give the unmarked Bondar a free shot at goal from six yards out in the centre of the goal but somehow, the centre-half flicked his effort wide of the far post, a real escape for Aberdeen.
The first card came after 20 minutes, great play by Devlin to draw the foul from Henrique when the Aberdeen man was galloping away down the right, miles ahead of his teammates. Karlsson delivered a dangerous ball in but the visitors were able to scramble the ball clear.
A great turn from Lazetic created space for a snap shot at goal after 24 minutes, Riznyk making a meal of it before he got the ball under control. A near post corner from Shakhtar four minutes later was nodded on by Marlon, but his header looped harmlessly onto the roof of the net.
Henrique drifted inside after 35 minutes and drilled a shot into the near post, Mitov punching well clear of the penalty area. It was a mighty, magnificent shift that the Dons were putting in off the ball, but the visitors were starting to sense they might get some joy before the break.
They got it on 38 minutes. Mitov went sprawling to punch a corner away but Shakhtar were able to work the ball back into the area. Armstrong’s attempt at a defensive header flicked the ball on to Nazaryna, who had taken the initial corner, and from a position out on his own on the left of the box, he struck a fierce shot across the face of goal, beyond the reach of Mitov and into the far corner.
HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 SHAKHTAR DONETSK 1
Karlsson was booked in the third minute of the second half for a foul on Elias. Shakhtar started the half well, penning the Dons in, Tobias curling a shot wide of goal with the outside of the boot in the 52nd minute.
The visitors had the goal after 53 though, Lucas left unmarked to head in at the back post from Marlon’s deep cross from the right.
Aberdeen responded with a Clarkson free-kick that Marlon only just headed wide of his own goal three minutes later. From Karlsson’s excellent corner, Lazetic got his head on it but, moving away from goal, he put his header wide of the target. Moments later, he latched onto a deflection but drove wide. A good response from the Dons.
Shakhtar were in the grove now though and Henrique made it 3-1 in the 59th minute, the left-back running onto a knockdown and unleashing a vicious first time drive just inside the post following a precise passing move from right to left. Unstoppable.
Armstrong, Ante Palaversa and Clarkson were replaced by Shinnie, Sivert Heltne Nilsen and Polvara for Aberdeen on the 64th minute. Lazetic and Matviyenko were booked on 67 after some pushing and shoving in the visitors’ penalty area.
The Dons were back in it on 68 minutes, a brilliant piece of work by Lazetic setting things up. Back to goal, he controlled a throw on his thigh, before spinning and smashing a volley at goal. Riznyk got a hand on to it, a marvellous save to push it against the bar, but Devlin was on the spot to head in from eight yards out. Game on again.
Great play from Jack Milne setting up Keskinen whose low shot from the edge of the box clutched by the goalkeeper to his left. Devlin was booked on 74 for a purely accidental handball. Shaktar made two changes a minute later, Pedrinho and Elias off, Meirelles and Isaque on.
Brilliant defending from Devlin shut out a real chance for Shakhtar on 77, Marlon clean through only for the full-back to get back and block him away.
Konoplia replaced Lucas in the 82nd minute for the visitors as the Dons continued to press for an opening. Aberdeen made their last throw of the dice on 85, Karlsson and Devlin making way for Yengi and Nisbet. Riznyk was booked for time wasting in the 89th minute, evidence of how far Shaktar had been pushed by Aberdeen, after which Marlon was replaced by Ghram. Tobias was booked in the first of four added minutes for kicking the ball away.
A corner was won in the final minute, Shinnie sprinting out to the right to take, and then another after the visitors cleared it behind. The second found the head of Heltne Nilsen, but stretching behind him, he glanced his header wide, and the game was gone.
ABERDEEN: Mitov, Devlin (Nisbet 85), Knoester, Milne, Dorrington, Keskinen, Palaversa (Heltne Nilsen 65), Armstrong (Shinnie 65), Clarkson (Polvara 65), Karlsson (Yengi 85), Lazetic.
Subs not used: Suman, Vitols, Aouchiche, Gyamfi, Milanovic, Lobban, Molloy.
GOALS: Karlsson (8 (pen)), Devlin (68)
BOOKED: Karlsson, Lazetic, Heltne Nilsen
SHAKHTAR DONETSK: Riznyk, Bondar, Marlon Gomes (Ghram 90), Pedrinho (Isaque 75), Pedro Henrique, Tobias, Kaua Elias (Isaque 75), Matviyenko, Ocheretko, Nazaryna, Lucas (Konoplia 82).
Subs not used: Fesiun, Marlon Santos, Aarov, Faryna, Kryskivm, Shved, Hlushchenko, Bondarenko.
GOALS: Nazaryna (39), Lucas (53), Henrique (59)
BOOKED: Henrique, Matviyenko, Riznyk, Tobias
