Shakhtar Donetsk defeat Champions League holders Chelsea

Chelsea's hopes of defending their Champions League title suffered a setback in Ukraine as Shakhtar dominated the match and deservedly won the three points. Alex Teixeira scored the first goal after just three minutes before Fernandinho doubled the home side's lead in the second half. Oscar bagged a late consolation for Chelsea, who avoided a heavier defeat thanks to a very good performance from goalkeeper Petr Cech. This was the first defeat in the Champions League for manager Roberto Di Matteo. The Ukrainian champions came into the game unbeaten in 11 months on the back of a record 21 consecutive league matches without a loss and having scored in every game in that run. That impressive run continued with a more impressive victory against the Champions League title holders. The hosts proved their strength right away as they opened the scoring after just three minues when Luiz Adriano had a shot blocked by Terry and Teixeira netted on the rebound. The home side continued to play great football, with Brazilian ace Willian creating the most opportunities. Goalkeeper Petr Cech kept Chelsea in the game as he denied Henrik Mkhitaryan and Tomas Hubschman while Fernando Torres was the only man who seemed to create something upfront for the Blues. The second goal for the home side was scored by Fernandinho, who robbed Hazard in the middle of the pitch, passed for Adriano and then went for the return pass before firing a perfect low shot into the far post corner. Chelsea showed a bit more quality after the goal, Hazard created a couple of dangerous chances, but Shakhtar also came close again through Fernandinho, Mkhitaryan and Hubschman. Oscar snatched a late consolation goal for the Blues as he fired low after a cross from Ivanovic. Shakhtar are in command of the group with 7 points, followed by Chelsea (4 points), Juventus (3 points) and Nordsjaelland (1 point). Bet365 have odds of 33/1 for Shakhtar to win the Champions League this season while Chelsea are priced at 16/1.