Shakhtar Donetsk vs AZ Alkmaar

Shakhtar Donetsk delivered a commanding display in Kraków, beating AZ Alkmaar 3-0 in the UEFA Conference League quarter-final first leg. A devastating late flurry — with Alisson Santana scoring twice in three minutes — put the Ukrainians firmly in control of the tie. A goalless first half gave way to Shakhtar's dominance after the break. Pedrinho broke the deadlock in the 71st minute with a superb long-range curler into the top corner. Alisson Santana then made it two from close range after a corner in the 80th minute, and two minutes later he completed his brace after a sharp lay-off from Eguinaldo. AZ's Alexandre Penetra and Mees de Wit both saw yellow as frustration mounted for the Dutch side. The three-goal cushion hands Shakhtar a near-unassailable lead ahead of the return leg in the Netherlands on April 16. AZ, who had dismantled Sparta Praha 6-1 on aggregate in the previous round, now face an enormous mountain to climb to reach the semi-finals.