Rodrygo (C) of Real Madrid vies with Mykola Matvienko (L) and Bogdan Mykhaylichenko of Shakhtar Donetsk during a UEFA Champions League Group F football match between Real Madrid of Spain and FC Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine in Madrid, Spain, Oct. 5, 2022. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)
Real Madrid beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 to take third group win in Champions League, while Sevilla head coach Julen Lopetegui was sacked after a 4-1 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
MADRID, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- There was a mixed night for Spanish clubs in the Champions League on Wednesday night as Real Madrid won 2-1 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, but Sevilla lost 4-1 at home to Borussia Dortmund.
Real Madrid raced into a 2-0 lead in the first half, thanks to an excellent goal from Rodrygo in the 13th minute after a good pass from Aurelien Tchouameni.
Vinicius Jr doubled Real Madrid's lead in the 28th minute after linking up with Karim Benzema, and it looked like Shakhtar were in for a long night. However, Oleksandr Zubkov pulled a goal back in the 39th minute with a smart volley following a cross from the left.
The second half saw Shakhtar try to get back on level terms, while Real Madrid defended with relative ease, but failed to add a third goal that would have put the game to bed.
Karim Benzema (2nd L) of Real Madrid competes during a UEFA Champions League Group F football match between Real Madrid of Spain and FC Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine in Madrid, Spain, Oct. 5, 2022. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)
Real Madrid have three wins from three group matches and have all but ensured their place in the knockout stage of the competition.
Sevilla went into their game with the press speculating over the future of coach Julen Lopetegui after a bad start to the season and things went wrong from the start.
Raphael Guerreiro put Dortmund ahead in just the sixth minute after good work from England international Jude Bellingham, who doubled the lead himself in the 41st minute after skipping through the home defense and poking the ball home.
Two minutes later it became 3-0 when Karim Adeyemi took advantage of a magnificent touch from Youssoufa Moukoko to beat Sevilla goalkeeper Bono.
Sevilla were booed off, but showed personality in the second half as Youssef En-Nesyri pulled a goal back in the 52nd minute.
Julen Lopetegui, head coach of Sevilla kisses his medal after the team's victory in the UEFA Europa League final between FC Inter and Sevilla FC in Cologne, Germany, Aug. 21, 2020. (Alex Grimm/UEFA/Handout via Xinhua)
The Spanish side had chances to get back into the match but failed to take them, and Julian Brandt ensured the win for the visitors with a looping header 15 minutes from time.
The defeat leaves Sevilla with one point from nine in the group stage and less than an hour later Lopetegui, who has been linked to the vacant position with Premier League side Wolves, was sacked.
