Real Madrid vs Shakhtar Donetsk summary: scores, goals, highlights | Champions League 2021/22

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Real Madrid move top

Real Madrid are top of Group D after their 2-1 win over Shakhtar on Wednesday. Shakhtar stay bottom of the group.

Karim Benzema post-match: "I'm loving my football"

"We suffered together but in the end, we won. It's just a little bit of tiredness I have and I should be ready for Saturday. We play every three days and it's difficult. Sometimes you can't play well but we won. The fans always want us to win and we always try to play well. We won and I scored two goals and that's it. I'm loving my football." 

Real Madrid beat Shakhtar at the Santiago Bernabéu

Real Madrid win at the Santiago Bernabéu, beating Shakhtar 2-1.

FT: Real Madrid 2-1 Shakhtar

Shakhtar have stayed in the game right until the death and can still nick a point here.

There will be three added minutes.

Courtois makes another big save to keep Madrid in the lead. He has been superb. 

KROOS!

The German midfielder tries his luck from distance. His dipping effort ends up between Trubin's legs but it was moving. 

Shakhtar continue to look for an equaliser but can't get past the Madrid defence.

Shakhtar change:

OFF Fernando

ON Dentinho

Benzema is finally off and Madrid will be hoping that is nothing serious. He is, currently, arguably the best player in Europe.

Triple change for Shakhtar:

OFF Alan Patrick ON Marcos Antonio

OFF Tete ON Marlos

OFF Taras Stepanenko ON Georgiy Sudakov

Real Madrid change:

OFF Benzema

ON Jovic

Benzema has asked to come off but in the meantime he goes close to scoring a hat-trick!

Lucas Vázquez picks out the France international, who takes it down on the chest and sends his shot over the bar. 

Benzema wants to come off. He has signalled to the bench.

Stepanenko fires an effort just over Courtois' bar from outside the box. The Shakhtar captain strikes it really well but it keeps rising. 2-1

Shakhtar change:

OFF Mudryk

ON Solomon

Dodo is in acres of space on the right but his cross fails to meet any of the Shakhtar players in the box.

Real Madrid make their first change of the night.

OFF Carvajal

ON Nacho

Benzema has now scored 13 goals this season. His two goals tonight were set up by Vinicius, who is also on fire this season. 

Benzema brace at Bernabéu

It's really wonderful play and an excellent move by Madrid. Vinicius play a one-two with Casemiro before setting up Benzema to tap home from close range. 

TETE!

The winger cuts inside onto his left foot. His low strike isn't the best he's ever hit and it's an easy one for Courtois.

Shakhtar's head coach De Zerbi has been booked for protesting. 

Shakhtar's head coach De Zerbi has been booked for protesting. 

There were boos from the home faithful in the first half. Madrid weren't at it for large parts of the game. 

Marcelo, Jovic and Asensio are warming up for Madrid.

If you're just joining us, it's 1-1 at the Bernabéu. Benzema and Fernando scored the goals in the first half. 

Lucas Vázquez does well down the right and in an advanced position, he crosses for Casemiro but Shakhtar manage to clear. 

Lucas Vázquez goes down in the box, for a second I thought 'penalty' but he gets right back up and plays on!

Real Madrid get us underway!

All square at the break

HT: Real Madrid 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk

De Zerbi thought his side took the lead but Courtois reminds us all just how good he is. 

Courtois denies Fernando with a great save. 

Benzema's free-kick hits the wall.

Stepanenko knocks Casemiro over and it's a free-kick to Madrid on the edge of the box.

Real Madrid 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk

The sides are now level as we approach the halftime break.

Mendy gets a yellow for pulling Tete back as the winger looks to hit Madrid on the break.

Fun fact: Real Madrid have scored 1,000 goals between the old European Cup and the Champions League!

That's two chances in two minutes for both sides but it remains 1-0 to the home team here at the Bernabéu.

Benzema, with the confidence that he currently oozes, opens up his body and curls a right-footed effort over the far post. 

FERNANDO!

The striker goes close to equalising for the away side. Mudryk's through ball is met by Fernando. His effort goes just over Courtois' bar.

The game has gone flat in the last five minutes. Shakhtar have had their brief spell and seen quite a lot of the ball.

Lucas Vázquez battles for the ball with Ismaily. (Reuters)

MUDRYK!

Mudryk strikes from 25 yards. Courtois is able to catch it as it's hit down the middle. It's a decent effort, but lands in the Belgian's hands. 

Shakhtar have kept going since Benzema's goal but are lacking the quality in the final third thus far. 

Tete makes a yard for himself down the right wing. He crosses low but Courtois reads the danger and grabs the cross.

Modric!

Trubin denies Modric once again. This time, he shoots low, but the keeper gets down to save it with his left foot. 

Real Madrid 1-0 Shakhtar Donetsk

Benzema has scored 12 goals this season!

It's those two once again. Vinicius presses Shakhtar's backline and wins the ball back before squaring to Benzema, who taps into an empty net. The best player in Europe right now? Quite possibly...

Patrick strikes it from about 20 yards, it's hit low and hard, flies past Courtois, but not the post. 0-0

That would have been Shakhtar's first goal in the group stages!

Patrick hits the post!

It's a fantastic strike from Patrick and it comes back out crashing off the post.

Lucas Vázquez and Modric play a double one-two, before the Croat finds himself inside the box. He strikes at hip height and Trubin dives to his right to keep it at 0-0 but Madrid could be ahead.

Brilliant save by Trubin to deny Modric!

Shakhtar have yet to score in Group D. 

Madrid are seeing plenty of the ball in the opening minutes. 

Real Madrid are wearing their traditional white kit and play from left to right in the first half. Shakhtar are wearing orange shirts, black shorts and orange socks.

Shakhtar get us underway in Madrid!

The players are on the pitch and we're just seconds away from kick-off!

Shakhtar Donetsk XI

Real Madrid XI

The players are in the tunnel at the Santiago Bernabéu.

I'm going to say: Real Madrid 3-1 Shakhtar Donetsk

Kick-off at the Santiago Bernabéu is just over 15 minutes away.

Group D

Real Madrid are joint top of Group D heading into today's match. Shakhtar have yet to score and only have one point to their name.

SOCCER | REAL MADRID

Ancelotti on Shakhtar, Bale, Hazard, Asensio, Rodrygo ahead of Champions League clash

Carlo Ancelotti on Gareth Bale:

"His situation is quite clear. He has had a significant injury, he has needed recovery time. He can train ahead of Rayo. His national team calls him because they need him. There they will have to evaluate if he can play or not. Yes, the player is fully recovered, we are delighted that he is playing for the national team, because if he accumulates minutes he can return in better condition."

Read more

Vinicius one of lowest earners at Madrid

Vinicius currently earns €3.2 million net per season, a figure that could be increased to €4 million. According to Goal, he is among the five lowest earners at Madrid.

His agent, Federico Peña, has made it clear that Vinicius deserves a substantial improvement: "We don't really know what the salaries of the other players are. Let's say he's in the bottom third. He was signed at the age of 16. He is the only player signed by Real Madrid without having played a professional game. Maybe it's better for him that he has this contract, that he's not among the highest at the moment, and that, when it's increased, maybe he'll move into the top third."

REAL MADRID

Vinicius: "I want to stay at Real Madrid for a long time"

Real Madrid signed Vinicius Junior from Brazilian club Flamengo for €45 million when he was just 16 years old. 

This is the young forward's fourth season with Los Blancos, and without a doubt, his best season so far in his short career. He is Madrid's second highest goalscorer after Karim Benzema, with nine goals in 2021/22.

His contract at the Santiago Bernabéu runs until 2024 and there is already talk of a new deal. Speaking in an interview with Tatiana Mantovani on TNT Brasil's Esporte Interativo programme, Vinicius was very honest and clear about his future.

"They [Real Madrid] haven't said anything to me. I'm very calm because there's still a lot of time left. Of course I want to renew. 

Full story

Real Madrid XI vs Shakhtar

Shakthar name starting XI

TEAM NEWS

We'll have team news from both camps as soon as it's in!

Will Shakhtar Donetsk finally score?

Shakhtar Donetsk are one of three teams in this year's competition – along with Dynamo Kyiv and Malmö – who are yet to score.

Their last strike in the competition was in fact away to Real Madrid last season.

Roberto De Zerbi needs to somehow transfer Shakhtar's domestic form – where they sit second with 32 points, three less than Dynamo Kyiv – over to their Champions League campaign as soon as possible if they want to progress into the knockout stages.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Real Madrid vs Shakhtar Donetsk: times, TV and how to watch online

Here's all the information on how and where to watch the UCL match between Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium on Wednesday.

Full preview

It's a cold but sunny evening in Madrid and the Santiago Bernabéu awaits.

Real Madrid vs Shakhtar Donetsk live: welcome

Hello and welcome to AS English's live coverage of this Champions League Group D fixture as Real Madrid host Shakhtar Donetsk at the Santiago Bernabéu. Kick-off is at 13:45 ET / 18:45 CEST.