The home side remain composed at the back. They will want to maintain their clean sheet. It has been an excellent performance tonight from the Moldovan outift.
90'
There will be four minutes of added time.
88'
Matvyenko takes on ambitious strike from 25 yards and blasts a left-footed drive harmlessly over the bar. It has been that sort of game for the Ukrainian outfit.
86'
Radeljic comes on to the field for the closing stages to replace the tiring legs of Addo.
85'
B. Nikolov enters the game and replaces F. Castañeda.
S. Radeljić enters the game and replaces E. Addo.
Nikolov replaces Castanedo for the home side to shore up the midfield.
84'
BLOCK! Maycon latches on to a clearance on the edge of the Sheriff box. He pulls the trigger on a left-footed volley that travels towards goal at pace before Dulanto sticks out a boot to divert it wide of the target.
82'
Sheriff are in a good position now, but just need to show the nous to take time off the clock to see out the victory.
81'
Addo is down for the home side after losing possession. He requires treatment, but appears to be okay to continue.
78'
Mudryk leads a counter for the visitors and breaks into the box in the left-inside channel. He has no support, but Addo dives in anyway with a sliding challenge. He wins the ball and knocks it behind for a corner, but it was a risky challenge to say the least.
Minute
Description
77'
ALMOST THREE! Traore collects on the right flank and cuts inside on his left foot. He curls a strike towards the far post, but the ball travels inches over the bar. Pyatov looked beaten there.
75'
Disappointing from Thill from the resulting corner as he floats a tame delivery into the middle that Pyatov claims with ease.
74'
Shakhtar fail to clear their lines from another Cristiano cross. Costanza gathers and wins a corner for the home side down the right flank.
71'
Sheriff have control of the scoreline, but now need to see the game out. They've been impressive on the counter to gain the two-goal advantage, now comes the nuance of getting over the line with a stoic rearguard.
69'
Mudryk makes a good move down the left flank and he tries to pick out Traore in the box, but the ball just evades the forward in the middle.
67'
Bruno Felipe enters the game and replaces J. Yakhshiboyev.
Sheriff withdraw Yakhshiboev from the final third as Bruno comes on to the field to replace the forward.
66'
Shakhtar have been rocked by the second Sheriff goal. They had started the second half well, but have been made to rue their defensive lapse.
65'
M. Mudryk enters the game and replaces Fernando.
Mudryk replaces Fernando in the final third for the visitors.
Alan Patrick enters the action to replace Antonio in the middle of the park.
64'
Alan Patrick enters the game and replaces Marcos Antônio.
62'
M. Yansane has scored a goal for Sheriff! Assist by Cristiano.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! SHERIFF SCORE AGAINST THE RUN OF PLAY!!! YANSANE HEADS HOME!!!!! 2-0!!!! The home side double their advantage, stunning Shakhtar on the counter as Yansane rises to head an effort into the back of the net. Cristiano finds space down the left flank and delivers a perfect cross into the box. Yansane is left unmarked and he directs his header away from Pyatov into the top-left corner with precision.
Cristiano raids down the left flank and delivers a perfect cross for Yansane to head past Pyatov.
60'
It is all one-way traffic at the moment. There's no way out for Sheriff, who are dropping deeper and deeper on the edge of their own box.
57'
BLOCK! Antonio latches on to a loose ball following a corner and lets fly with an effort on his left foot, but his strike is deflected wide of the target.
55'
M. Yansane enters the game and replaces D. Kolovos.
Yansane makes his way on to the pitch to replace Kolovos.
52'
Shakhtar have made a bright start to the second half and are encamped in the Sheriff half. However, they need to find a clinical edge to get back into the contest.
49'
Fernando gets the better of Arboleda down the left-inside channel, but the forward sees his cross deflected behind by Addo tracking back.
47'
Frustration for the visitors as Marlos loses his footing on the right flank after being played into space by Matvyenko.
46'
Marlos enters the game and replaces Tetê.
Tete is withdrawn at the break by the visitors and is replaced by Marlos.
We're back under way at the Bolshaya Sportivnaya Arena.
45' +1
Dodo wins a corner off the legs of Cristiano, but Matvyenko can only head his effort over the bar from Maycon's set-piece.
HALF-TIME: SHERIFF 1-0 SHAKHTAR DONETSK
45'
There will be one minute of added time.
43'
Maycon takes the resulting free-kick, only to overhit his delivery into the box straight out for a goal-kick. A poor set-piece from the Brazilian.
42'
G. Dulanto gets yellow.
Thill loses possession and it allows Tete to gather the loose ball in the final third. Dulanto takes one for the team by wiping out the forward before he can threaten. The Sheriff defender goes into the book.
39'
Shakhtar have not been able to put any pressure on the home side in the final third. De Zerbi may have to have a rethink at the break.
37'
Kolovos latches on to a cross from Thill in the box. He turns one way then the other, but his deflected strike travels away from goal and Pyatov gathers to spark a Shakhtar counter.
36'
Sheriff are on their mettle at the back to clear the danger from Maycon's corner. The home side are putting forward a disciplined performance.
35'
Tete has another run down the right flank, but the home side double up on the midfielder and force his attempted cross behind for a corner.
33'
OVER! Ismaily rises in the box to connect with a header from Maycon's corner, but he plants his attempt comfortably over the bar.
31'
Yakhshiboev seizes on a mistake at the back from Ismaily and breaks into the right-inside channel. He sends an offload back to Castaneda, but he cannot take the ball in stride under pressure in the box.
29'
Ismaily arrives in support for Maycon down the left flank. He tries to force a ball through a crowded penalty area, but it deflects off a black shirt and into the hands of Athanasiadis.
26'
Tete has a probe in the right-inside channel, but Dulanto gets across and dispossesses the midfielder, conceding a corner on the right flank.
25'
Shakhtar are being allowed to retain possession by the home side, but once they lose the ball, the Moldovan outfit are on them in a flash on the counter. It's working for Sheriff at the moment.
23'
OVER! Traore latches on to the resulting corner from Thill, but his first-time effort on the volley travels over the bar.
20'
Sheriff are playing with the same intensity they displayed in the qualifying rounds. The visitors are having to work to keep them at bay.
16'
A. Traoré has scored a goal for Sheriff! Assist by Cristiano.
Cristiano wins a challenge down the left flank and bursts down the left flank before finding Traore with a precise offload. The forward does the rest with a composed finish.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! TRAORE SCORES SHERIFF'S FIRST CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GOAL!!!!! 1-0!!!!! The home side take the lead as Traore finds the back of the net. Cristiano wins possession down the left flank and lays a cross into the box. Traore takes his strike first time blasting a left-footed volley past Pyatov into the top-left corner. What a start for the Moldovan outfit.
13'
Fernando probes down the left flank and tries to fire a low cross into the Sheriff box, but Dulanto is there to divert the ball behind for a Shakhtar corner.
12'
Traore tries to latch on to another long ball from the back by Dulanto. However, Pyatov comes off his line and jumps to gather the ball as it rises off the deck.
9'
Tete collects the ball on the right flank and cuts inside to shoot on his left foot. However, he gets his effort all wrong and fires it well wide of the target.
6'
Kolovos latches on to a mistake by Dodo and lines up a drive at goal. He sees his effort charged down, but Addo goes for a strike from distance that sails over the bar.
4'
Sheriff have settled well into their first taste of Champions League group action. They've not been deterred by the experience of Shakhtar.
2'
Dulanto launches a long ball over the top and Traore chases it down to control on the edge of the box. He lines up an ambitious left-footed strike that he scuffs wide of the target.
1'
We're under way at the Bolshaya Sportivnaya Arena.
Hello and welcome to the live commentary of the Champions League Group D clash between Sheriff and Shakhtar Donetsk at Bolshaya Sportivnaya Arena.
Sheriff are the first Moldovan side to compete in the group stages of the Champions League. Yuriy Vernydub's men battled their way past four sides during the qualifying rounds, including Red Star Belgrade and Dinamo Zagreb to take their place amongst the elite. They will now be aiming to make an impact in the group stage, beginning against Shakhtar on home soil. Sheriff are in good form, riding back-to-back wins in the league into the contest tonight.
Shakhtar staged a dramatic comeback over Monaco to seal their place in the group stage. The Ukrainian outfit appeared to be heading out of the competition before a strike from Marlos earned extra-time before an own goal from Ruben Aguilar sent them through at the expense of the Ligue 1 outift. Roberto De Zerbi's men are second place in the Ukrainian Premier League, and defeated Dnipro-1 in their last outing at the weekend to take momentum into the contest.
SHERIFF (4-2-3-1): Georgios Athanasiadis; Fernando Costanza, Danilo Arboleda, Gustavo Dulanto, Cristiano; Edmond Addo, Sebastien Thill; Adama Traore, Dimitris Kolovos, Frank Andersson Castaneda Velez; Jasurbek Yakhshiboev.
SHERIFF SUBS: Dumitru Celeadnic, Stjepan Radeljic, Keston Julien, Serafim Cojocaru, Boban Nikolov, Serghei Pascenco, Bruno, Maxim Cojocaru, Momo Yansane.
Shakhtar have been underwhelming in the contest and have not been able to threaten the Sheriff goal. Roberto De Zerbi and his team need to up the ante to sustain consistent pressure on the Moldovan outfit in the second half to get back into the contest.
Thanks for joining our commentary this evening. Until next time, goodbye.
Sheriff return to domestic action in their next outing away to Zimbru on Sunday. Shakhtar Donetsk are also on the road on Saturday in the Ukrainian Premier League against Mariupol.
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