Crazy goal in Donetsk!
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) October 22, 2019
Shakhtar keeper Andriy Pyatov wrestles Gavranovic to the ground!
Ref gives the penalty.
VAR agrees.
Taken.
Goal.#UCL #VMSport pic.twitter.com/rHt4zzJtSF
A LATE GOAL from substitute Dodo spared Shakhtar Donetsk’s blushes as the Ukrainian champions salvaged a 2-2 draw at home to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Dinamo, who went into the game after 13 successive away defeats in the competition, looked to be heading to a famous victory after coming from behind to lead, but Dodo rescued a point 15 minutes from time, after a bizarre goalkeeping decision looked set to cost the hosts.
The hosts made a bright start but were unable to maintain their level after Yevhen Konoplyanka’s opening goal, and they found themselves pegged back by a Dinamo side led by the influential Mislav Orsic and Dani Olmo, who combined when the Spaniard levelled in the 25th minute.
Orsic – who netted a hat-trick on matchday one against Atalanta and also at the weekend – put his side ahead from the spot with an hour played and that looked as though it would be enough, but Brazilian youngster Dodo struck in style to leave both sides on four points from three games in Group C.
Shakhtar first threatened in the 13th minute when only a vital last-ditch intervention from Emir Dilaver prevented Junior Moraes prodding in.
The visitors were breached soon after, however, as Konoplyanka swept past Dominik Livakovic after being found in the box by Marlos.
But Dinamo, who gradually improved after falling behind, levelled just before the half-hour mark – Olmo arriving late and steering in from close range following Orsic’s brilliant delivery.
The lively Orsic almost put Dinamo ahead in spectacular fashion just after the break, but the post came to Shakhtar’s rescue after the forward’s stunning run from inside his own half.
Orsic got his goal with an hour on the clock, confidently smashing home a penalty after Andriy Pyatov bafflingly pulled Mario Gavranovic to the floor from behind at a corner.
But Dodo, introduced for Konoplyanka in the 66th minute, collected an incisive pass from Alan Patrick and finished coolly after skipping past Livakovic to earn a point for Shakhtar, who had a lucky escape when Olmo hit the right-hand post in the final minute.
In the other Champions League kick-off, meanwhile, Alvaro Morata moved Atletico Madrid a step closer to the Champions League knockout phase by securing a 1-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Diego Simeone’s side had gone four home matches in all competitions without a win and had only scored once in their past three games at Wanda Metropolitano.
They rarely looked like ending that particular run against a Leverkusen side who lost their first two Group D matches and were beaten 3-0 by Eintracht Frankfurt last Friday, until Morata’s powerful 78th-minute header proved too much for Lukas Hradecky.
The win puts Atletico on seven points from three games and gives them a promising chance of reaching the next round, even though two of their remaining three group games are away.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, are bottom of the table after three defeats in a row, leaving their hopes of progressing hanging by a thread, with Lokomotiv Moscow on three points and Juventus on four ahead of their meeting in Turin.
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