Donetsk (Ukraine), April 10 (Inditop) Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk will take a two-goal lead to France next week after winning their first leg UEFA Cup quarter-final game against Olympique Marseille 2-0.
Czech Tomas Huebschman (39th minute) and Brazilian Jadson (65th minute) gave the home side a margin Thursday that will give them confidence ahead of the return leg.
Both sides played offensively in the first half and Senegalese striker Mamadou Niang nearly gave the visitors the opening goal in the 36th minute after being sent through.
His powerful shot beat goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov but bounced back into play off the upright.
Instead, it was Huebschman who scored just three minutes later after Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda failed to hold onto the ball during a goalmouth scramble following a volley from Darijo Srna and the ball fell to the Czech, who had a simple task of pushing the ball over the line.
In the second half Shakhtar’s Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu brought on Brazilian William and the midfielder took just three minutes as he combined with compatriots Luiz Adriano and Jadson to set up Donetsk’s second goal.
Luiz Adriano played a one-two with William before playing across the area to Jadson who side-footed the ball into the goal.
Donetsk could have gone even further ahead, but Mandanda made amends for his earlier mistake as he denied Luiz Adriano and Srna.
Later Thursday Paris St Germain took on Dynamo Kiev in another France-Ukraine clash, while SV Hamburg faced Manchester City and Werder Bremen were at home to Uidenese.
The return legs will be played next Thursday.
rounak