With discipline, rigor, and an athletic display worthy of marathoners, Borussia Mönchengladbach exposed all Shakhtar's shortcomings from the first minute to the last in a one-way exercise that ended 6-0.
It could be worst.
The Ukrainian team, leader of Group B until this Tuesday, despite suffering from a covid-19 outbreak that sent eight of its starters to quarantine, could not withstand the push of the German team.
With a patched line-up of homegrown players - similar to the one they imposed on Madrid in Valdebebas on the first day - Shakhtar suffered a resounding punishment.
From minute eight, when Pléa finished off 0-1, the team led by Luis Castro began to sink without remedy.
Within half an hour, Borussia's dominance was complete.
In all facets.
The Shakhtar simply surrendered.
SHA
0
-
6
BMO
ShakhtarAnatolii Trubin, Davit Khocholova, Dodo, Valerii Bondar, Viktor Korniienko, Marlos (Viktor Kovalenko, min. 45), Mateus, Manor Soloman, Maycon de Andrade Barberan (Stepanenko, min. 68), Marcos Bahía (Alan Patrick, min. 45 ) and Taison (Moraes, min. 45) B.
MGladbachSommer, Rami Bensebaini, Ginter, Stefan Lainer (Michael Lang, min. 81), Elvedi (Jantschke, min. 81), Jonas Hofmann (Lazaro, min. 74), Florian Neuhaus, Christoph Kramer, Stindl (Hannes Wolf, min. 68), Marcus Thuram and Alassane Plea (Ibrahima Traoré, min. 81)
Goals0-1 min.
7: Alassane Plea.
0-2 min.
16: Valerii Bondar (pp).
0-3 min.
25: Alassane Plea.
0-4 min.
43: Rami Bensebaini.
0-5 min.
64: Stindl.
0-6 min.
77: Alassane Plea.
Referee Serdar Gözübüyük Yellow cards Davit Khocholova (min. 45), Manor Soloman (min. 62) and Michael Lang (min. 88)
Shakhtar cradles very young and very talented footballers.
But they lack maturity, they live in a competitive context that does not help them acclimatize to the highest demands, and when faced with difficulties they tend to feel overcome.
Without Dentinho, the seriously injured striker, without goalkeeper Pyatov, and without Kovalenko, Alan Patrick, Junior Moraes and Stepanenko, men who have formed its backbone, the team that took to the field on Tuesday in Kiev failed to convince itself Even being able to recover from 2-0, Bondar's own goal after a shot from Stindl in the 17th minute.
Shakhtar are comfortable handling the ball.
Borussia took it off with constant pressure.
Ordered by Kramer, the players who visited Ukraine wove an unbreakable web.
Neither the talent of Marcos Antonio, 20, nor the leadership of veteran Marlos, 32, served to meet the challenge.
Behind on the scoreboard, the Ukrainian team had no answers.
When he lost the ball, he lost energy and order.
At the end of the first half the locals had not made a single fault.
Discouraged and disorganized without the ball, they barely witnessed the placid night of Borussia, which is already the group leader after passing through Kiev and finishing ten times on goal in exchange for receiving a single shot between the three sticks.
Atalanta, 0;
Liverpool, 5
One of the games that generated the most expectation was played in Group D, in Bergamo, where Atalanta hosted Liverpool.
They faced two of the most exciting proposals of recent seasons.
Klopp against Gasperini, two brave coaches armed, yes, of unequal squads.
Liverpool prevailed, much more endowed with decisive footballers against Atalanta who paid dearly for his daring.
Diogo Jota - a substitute for Firmino, who remained on the bench - scored a
hat trick on his
way to the final 0-5.
Mané and Salah, who also gave goal passes, completed the demolition against an Atalanta who could never find the thread of the match.
In Group C, Manchester City consolidated their leadership with the third successive victory in this phase, this time against Olympiakos (3-0).