Shakhtar Donetsk achieved its first victory in the group stage of the Champions League after overcoming AEK Athens at Stamford Bridge with a final score of 3‑1. The match, which was played on October 14, 2026 at 9:00 p.m. CEST, was intense in the first half and slower in the second, but the Ukrainian team managed to close the result in the last ten minutes with goals from Vinícius Tobías and the Venezuelan Mendoza.
The match became the first match of the season at Stamford Bridge that included the Champions League anthem, although Chelsea were not present. Greek fans filled the stands with enthusiasm, cheering their players on from the start. AEK opened the scoring in the 28th minute when Lovro Majer converted a shot after a play by Pilios, taking advantage of a gap in the Shakhtar defence. The goal was followed by an immediate response from the Ukrainian team: the referee, after a VAR review, awarded a penalty on Alisson, which Pedrinho converted in the 34th minute, tying the score.
From that moment on, the match became a true back-and-forth battle, with clear opportunities for both teams. However, the second half was characterized by a slower pace and a lack of decisive chances. Shakhtar, despite the pressure, maintained its composure and, in the 80th minute, Vinícius Tobías scored the goal that gave the Ukrainian team the lead. The goal came with a powerful lateral shot that left the AEK goalkeeper with no options.
The decisive goal came in the 86th minute, when Venezuelan Mendoza completed a diagonal with a shot that hit the post and entered the net, sealing Shakhtar's victory. With this result, the Ukrainian team is better positioned in the group stage table, while AEK is left with a defeat that affects its chances of advancing.
Referee Chris Kavanagh, from England, awarded several yellow cards during the match, including one to Shakhtar's Marlon and several AEK players such as Majer, Moukoudi, Marin and Varga. The match, which was the second of the group stage, concluded with Shakhtar Donetsk demonstrating their ability to overcome adversity and close out games at critical moments, while AEK Athens will have to review their strategy for the next round.