Shakhtar Donetsk 2 Sevilla 2: Gameiro nets late penalty to salvage draw

Kevin Gameiro scored a late penalty as Sevilla came from behind to draw 2-2 with Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday night.

Vitolo sent the holders into a sixth-minute lead, but goals from Marlos and Taras Stepanenko handed the Ukrainian outfit a 2-1 advantage entering the interval. Gameiro struck from the penalty spot eight minutes from time, however, to make Sevilla the favourites ahead of the second leg at the Estadio Ramon next week.

Sevilla made the breakthrough in the sixth minute of action when Gameiro found Vitolo and the Spanish international cut inside Yaroslav Rakitskiy before finding the bottom corner with a smart finish.

Shakhtar’s first attempt of any kind came in the 14th minute when Rakitskiy lined up a free kick some 40 yards from goal, but the centre-back’s effort was always clearing the crossbar.

The home side did grow into the first period, however, and Marlos forced a smart save from David Soria in the 18th minute as the Ukrainian side started to find space in the final third of the field.

Sevilla were sitting too deep as matters developed and they were punished when Rakitskiy threaded a wonderful pass into Marlos, who took one touch before finishing past Soria to level the scores in the 23rd minute.

Darijo Srna‘s forward runs became a feature of Shakhtar’s threat as the 30-minute mark approached, but the full-back was chopped to the ground in the 27th minute by Sergio Escudero and at that point, his involvement was uncertain. Srna did return, however, and his team continued to threaten as Taison sent a rasping effort wide of Soria’s post.

Shakhtar found their second goal in the 36th minute when the dangerous Marlos delivered a super cross onto the head of Stepanenko, who smashed his effort past Soria from close range after evading Steven N’Zonzi.

The hosts continued to threaten in the latter stages of the first period and once again came close through Stepanenko, but the number six’s effort flew wide of the post as the referee blew his whistle at 2-1.

It was Sevilla that looked the more threatening in the opening 15 minutes of the second period, with Ever Banega seeing more of the possession in forward areas and Mariano and Escudero both pressing forward.Daniel Carrico tested Andriy Pyatov with a low drive in the 56th minute, but the goalkeeper was equal to it.

N’Zonzi was next to come close for Sevilla, but the French midfielder headed wide of the post as Shakhtar kept their lead in tact entering the final 30 minutes of the first leg in Ukraine.

Michael Krohn-Dehli, who replaced the ineffective Konoplyanka, also had a half-chance for the visitors in the 62nd minute, but the Dane’s strike from distance was straight into the arms of Pyatov.

Krohn-Dehli continued to influence the game for the visitors, but the midfielder was forced off on a stretcher in the 72nd minute following a heavy challenge from Facundo Ferreyra.

Three minutes later, Sevilla had the ball in the back of the net when Gameiro turned a low Escudero cross past Pyatov, but the linesman’s flag was raised as Shakhtar were given the benefit of a tight call.

Gameiro had a wonderful chance to level in the 78th minute after a through pass from Banega, but the striker somehow fired over the crossbar from close range during an end-to-end period of the match. N’Zonzi then set up Gameiro inside the box, only for Oleksandr Kucher to come from nowhere and clear off the line.

Gameiro was not to be denied, however, and levelled the scores from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute after Ferreyra had brought Vitolo to the deck with a clumsy challenge.