Nordsjaelland vs. Shakhtar Donetsk: Final score 2-5, visitors a bit unsportsmanlike, but erase doubt

Going into halftime, the story of Nordsjaelland and Shakhtar Donetsk’s Champions League match appeared to be an apparent unsportsmanlike act from Luiz Adriano. In the middle of the first half, he ran onto what looked to be a pass from Willian back to the Nordsjaelland keeper after an injury stoppage, though he didn’t view it that way. He ran by a sleeping defense before rounding the keeper and scoring, controversially putting his team ahead.

Thankfully, it wasn’t the difference in the match. Nordsjaelland equalized before the halftime whistle, then fell apart in the second half as Shakhtar went on to a convincing 5-2 victory. They now need just a draw in their final match to advance, and can go through with a loss if they stay ahead of Chelsea on goal differential. Nordsjaelland have been knocked out of Europe with this result.

Morten Nordstrand shocked the Ukrainian champions with the early goal on a headed-in cross, but their lead only lasted two minutes before it was erased by Luiz Adriano’s controversial goal. Shakhtar did not let Nordsjaelland go on and score, despite the insistence of some Danish media, but the Danes managed to fight back anyway. Kasper Lorentzen put his team back in the lead with a brilliant turn and finish in the 29th minute, and it was a goal that was very much earned, not given.

That was the last glimmer of hope Nordsjaelland had in the match. Just before halftime, Willian equalized for Shakhtar. Not long into the second half, he scored again, netting a rocket from 25 yards out to put his team ahead through 53 minutes. Luiz Adriano added insult to injury with his second goal just three minutes later, tapping in a cross by Alex Teixeira. He completed a hat trick late in the game, simultaneously turning a previously controversial match into a convincing rout.