Shakhtar Donetsk secured their first win of the season in the UEFA Champions League with a 3-1 victory over AEK on Wednesday, giving coach Arda Turan a memorable milestone at Stamford Bridge.
The Ukrainian side came from behind to beat the Greek club in the second round of the competition, with Pedrinho equalizing from the penalty spot before Vinicius Tobias and Gleiker Mendoza scored late goals to seal the victory.
The result lifted Shakhtar to four points after two matches, while AEK remained on three points after suffering their first defeat in four European games without conceding a goal.
AEK made the stronger start in front of their vocal supporters and nearly took the lead in the third minute. Lovro Majer delivered a corner from the left, and Harold Moukoudi rose above the defense to head against the post.
Shakhtar gradually settled into the contest and began testing goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli from distance. Alisson Santana forced a sharp save from the AEK goalkeeper in the ninth minute, with Brignoli turning his effort behind for a corner.
AEK broke the deadlock in the 28th minute after capitalizing on a Shakhtar mistake. Vinicius Tobias lost possession, allowing the Greek side to launch an attack down the left. Stavros Pilios carried the ball forward before picking out Majer, who finished low into the net to put AEK ahead.
Shakhtar responded quickly and were awarded a penalty after a VAR review. Filipe Relvas brought down Santana inside the penalty area, prompting English referee Chris Kavanagh to point to the spot.
Pedrinho took responsibility in the 34th minute and sent Brignoli the wrong way to restore parity at 1-1.
Both sides created opportunities as the match opened up, but neither could find the decisive finish until the final 10 minutes.
Shakhtar took the lead in the 80th minute when Santana picked out Tobias on the right side of the penalty area. Tobias fired from a tight angle, and the ball deflected off Brignoli's foot before crossing the line.
Six minutes later, Mendoza put the result beyond doubt. The Shakhtar forward broke into the penalty area from the left and produced a composed finish into the top-right corner to complete the 3-1 victory.
The win marked a significant step for Turan, who claimed his first Champions League victory as a coach in only his second match in the competition. Shakhtar had opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw away to PSV Eindhoven.
Turan returns to Stamford Bridge for another milestone
Stamford Bridge provided a fitting setting for another memorable European night for Turan, who scored at the stadium 12 years earlier while playing for Atletico Madrid.
Atletico defeated Chelsea 3-1 in the second leg of their 2013-14 Champions League semifinal, advancing to the final after a goalless draw in the first leg. Turan scored Atletico's third goal in the 72nd minute to help secure their place in the final.
More than a decade later, the former Turkey international returned to the same ground in a different role and secured his first Champions League win from the dugout.
After drawing his managerial debut in the competition against PSV, Turan now has four points from his first two matches as Shakhtar continue their European campaign.