Bitter defeat: Four games, zero points: YB also loses against Shakhtar Donetsk

Despite scoring the first goal, Young Boys also lose their fourth game in the current Champions League campaign. In Gelsenkirchen, the Swiss champions were defeated 1:2 by Shakhtar Donetsk after taking the lead.

Only for a short time was the YB world in order on this cold fall evening in the Ruhrpott. Kastriot Imeri gave the Bernese side the lead in the 27th minute after three previous goalless games following a blatant error in the Ukrainians’ build-up play. Following a pass from Cheikh Niasse, the attacking midfielder held his nerve in front of Dimitri Risnyk and slotted home to make it 0:1 in an away game that, thanks to the YB fans who had made the journey, did not feel like one in Shakhtar’s exile.

Benito out of luck

Bern’s luck held for a whole four minutes. Then Georgi Sudakov took to the stage. Within ten minutes, the 22-year-old Ukrainian international showed why he is on the wish list of several top European clubs.

First, he took half of YB’s back line out of the game with a clever run and played Alexander Zubkov in from the baseline, who only had to slide the ball in. He then played an intricate one-two with Eguinaldo before dribbling around Lukas Lakomy and scoring with a powerful shot into the far corner of the goal.

It was particularly bitter for Young Boys: Captain Loris Benito was treated on the touchline when the equalizer was scored, leaving the Bernese outnumbered and with a mismatch. Benito injured his thigh in an attempt to clear the ball and was unable to continue. Later, Sandro Lauper, the other central defender, also had to leave the field with an injury.

YB without penetration

It was a deserved victory for Shakhtar. The Ukrainians controlled the game for long stretches and were more dangerous in attack. It was thanks to Marwin Keller that YB did not fall behind early on. The goalkeeper, who surprisingly replaced David von Ballmoos between the posts, made a strong save from Eguinaldo after a quarter of an hour. With 20 minutes to go, he was again in the spotlight, deflecting a shot from Sudakov around the post.

For their part, Bern only came close to equalizing once, when Silvère Ganvoula headed in a sharp cross from Lewin Blum just before the break, but aimed too high from close range. Otherwise, much remained piecemeal, including in the final quarter of an hour, when the visitors had their best spell. However, the Bernese were either too imprecise or not determined enough. Young Boys’ chronic weakness on the road in the Champions League continued. In eleven games away from home, the Bernese have picked up a measly two points.

Even if the opponents in the second half of the Champions League campaign tend to be more within YB’s reach, the meagre haul from the first four games is likely to have set the Swiss champions back decisively in the battle for the knockout places.

Quotes from the YB camp

The video ticker

• 72.

  Keller saves Kevin’s header
  

• 71.

  Zubkov almost scores the third goal for Shakhtar
  

• 41.

  Sudakov completes a wonderful combination – Shakhtar have turned the game around
  

• 31.

  Zubkov scores – Shakhtar equalize immediately
  

• 27.

  Niasse wins the ball, Imeri finishes – YB go ahead
  

• 15.

  YB make a mistake in the build-up – Keller saves the Bernese from falling behind
  

• 9.

  Shakhtar celebrate, but the opening goal does not count
  

• 0.

  YB coach Magnin explains: That’s why Monteiro is only on the substitutes’ bench
  

• 0.

  Shakhtar between war and Champions League
  

  Young Boys face Shakhtar Donetsk in the fourth round of the Champions League. For the Ukrainians, football is only a minor matter during times of war. Ukraine expert Thomas Grimm explains.

  To the articles:

  Part 1.

  Part 2.

• 0.

  Shakhtar Donetsk have been playing in exile for ten years
  

  Shakhtar has been without a home for ten years now. Founded in 1936 by miners in the Donbass, the proud club, which won the UEFA Cup in 2009, was forced to leave its homeland at the start of the 2014/15 season following the annexation of Crimea by Russian ruler Vladimir Putin and in light of the simmering conflict in eastern Ukraine.

  The club first moved into exile in Lviv near the Polish border. Due to the lack of support at the other end of the country and, of course, the spectators, the club moved a little closer to home to Kharkiv, with Shakhtar finally playing its home games in the capital Kiev. With the invasion of Russian troops in February 2022, the club moved back to Lviv.

• 0.

  Good memories of Shakhtar
  

  YB met Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League qualifiers – both teams won their home games 2-0, with the Swiss team coming out on top in the penalty shoot-out.

• 0.

  Highlights of the last matches