Shakhtar Donetsk Rally Late to Beat AEK Athens 3-1 at Stamford Bridge
Shakhtar Donetsk came from behind to beat AEK Athens 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, October 14, in matchday 2 of the Champions League, giving coach Arda Turan his first European win since taking charge.
AEK broke the deadlock in the 28th minute. Stravo Pilo picked out Lovro Majer inside the box, and the Croatian midfielder finished first-time into the near corner to send the travelling Greek fans into celebration. Shakhtar, who cannot play home matches in Ukraine because of the war and are using Chelsea's stadium as their temporary base this season, responded quickly. Pedrinho was brought down in the area, and the Brazilian stepped up himself to send goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli the wrong way from the penalty spot in the 34th minute.
The scores stayed level for a long stretch before Shakhtar found a way through late on. In the 80th minute, Vinícius Tobias cut inside and curled a shot from a tight angle that flew in off the far post. Six minutes later, Gleiker Mendoza added a stunning third to put the result beyond doubt, sealing Shakhtar's first Champions League win since January 2025.
The result lifted Shakhtar to four points from two matches, following an opening 1-1 draw away to PSV Eindhoven. AEK, who had started their return to the league phase for the first time since 2018-19 with a win over LASK, stayed on three points and saw their wait for a first-ever away win in the competition stretch to 23 matches.
The night carried personal significance for Turan, who scored at Stamford Bridge 12 years earlier while playing for Atlético Madrid in a 2013-14 Champions League semi-final second leg. He returned to the same ground this time in the dugout, securing his first win as a head coach in the competition in just his second match in charge. Shakhtar's chief executive Sergei Palkin had spoken on the eve of the game about the significance of playing at a stadium of Stamford Bridge's stature while the war in Ukraine continues. Shakhtar next host Sporting Lisbon, before Fenerbahçe and Real Madrid also visit their temporary London home.