Shakhtar Donetsk booked a clash with Inter Milan in the Europa League semi-finals after goals from Brazilians Junior Moraes, Taison, Alan Patrick and Dodo gave them a 4-1 win over FC Basel in a one-sided last-eight clash on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian champions will take on Inter in Dusseldorf on Monday after Sunday’s semi-final in Cologne between 2017 Europa League winners Manchester United and Sevilla, who have won Europe’s second-tier competition a record five times.
Luís Castro’s Shakhtar have done it!
They are into the semi-finals of the #EuropaLeague for the first time since the 2015-16 season after a thumping 4-1 win over Basel.
They play Inter in 6 days time! ????????✨ pic.twitter.com/mVTQfnhDXg
— Próxima Jornada (@ProximaJornada1) August 11, 2020
The final is set for August 21 in Cologne.
Shakhtar, who won Europe’s second-tier club competition in 2009, missed a string of chances to triumph by an even bigger margin as they dominated the match with crisp one-touch passing and superior close control.
Moraes headed the Ukrainian side into a second-minute lead after a howler by Basel’s Serbian goalkeeper Djordje Nikolic, who was beaten to the ball by the striker after rushing off his line to meet a Marlos corner.
Nikolic made amends with several good saves in the first half but was powerless in the 22nd minute when Taison capped a lightning Shakhtar break with a deflected shot after good work by Marlos and a clever dummy by Patrick.
Marcos Antonio rattled the woodwork with a long-range effort in the 40th minute before Shakhtar took their foot off the pedal in the second half, content with keeping possession as their rivals chased shadows.
???? | OPPONENTS
Inter will play @FCShakhtar_eng in the @EuropaLeague semi-finals ????????
The match will take place at 21:00 CEST on Monday 17 August at the Düsseldorf Arena ???? https://t.co/YCnMA5ie8q pic.twitter.com/Wo9sHNyspd
— Inter (@Inter_en) August 11, 2020
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Still, Patrick made it 3-0 with a 75th-minute penalty after Yannick Marchand fouled livewire Taison in the area and right back Dodo added the fourth in the 89th minute, with the goal awarded after a VAR check for offside.
Substitute Ricky van Wolfswinkel netted a stoppage time consolation for Basel from close range but the Swiss side had little to cheer after being blown away by their opponents.
