shakhtar survive scare to advance published: thursday 9 august 2007, 0.31cet fc shakhtar donetsk 2-1 fc pyunik (agg: 4-1) olexandr gladkiy and brandão were again on target as shakhtar came from behind to knock out pyunik.
by igor linnyk
fc shakhtar donetsk survived a first-half scare before coming back to defeat ten-man armenian champions fc pyunik and earn a meeting with austrian champions fc salzburg in the third qualifying round of the uefa champions league.
decisive goals shakhtar had brought a 2-0 lead back to ukraine from yerevan last week and just as in the armenian capital, strikes from olexandr gladkiy and brandão proved decisive at the rsc olympiyskiy stadium after the hosts had conceded an early gevorg ghazaryan goal.
shakhtar comeback mircea lucescu's side, who reached the group stage last season, were behind after 32 minutes when ghazaryan headed in agvan mkrtchyan's cross and pyunik might have levelled the tie overall when felix hzeina's shot shaved the crossbar. shakhtar resisted, however, and after substitutes jadson rodriguez and gladkiy had entered the fray they began to dictate matters, scoring either side of half-time. brandão hit a powerful shot in at the near post, before combining with jadson to set up gladkiy for a volleyed finish. pyunik's disappointment was compounded when they were forced to play most of the second half with ten men following a red card for artur yedigaryan.
