Slick Shakhtar leave Partizan in mire

FK Partizan were powerless to prevent another handsome UEFA Europa League victory for FC Shakhtar Donetsk as the Ukrainian side claimed a second 4-1 Group J win.

Radosavljević disappointed
The writing was on the wall for the nervous visitors almost from the off, even if there was an element of misfortune as they fell behind to a Marko Lomić own goal midway through the first half. From then on luck had little to do with it as Luiz Adriano, Jadson and Yaroslav Rakitskiy all struck, Adem Ljajić's 86th-minute effort providing scant consolation for Partizan, and Aleksandar Radosavljević in particular.

Nervous start
Preferred to first-choice goalkeeper Mladen Božović the 26-year-old was nervy from the off and almost conceded inside three minutes when an innocuous Willian shot found its way through his legs. The covering Goran Gavrančić saved Radosavljević's blushes but neither he nor Partizan were allowed to settle as Shakhtar's five-strong Brazilian contingent drove them back. The question was when the breakthrough would come, not if.

Donbass first
On 24 minutes it came as Darijo Srna's eighth corner got the lightest of flicks from Adriano and eluded everybody – the hesitant Radosavljević included – before cannoning in off Lomić's knee. If the first European goal at the Donbass Arena was all about force and persistence then the second owed much to grace and guile. Ilsinho picked Radosav Petrović's pocket on the right, played a one-two with Jadson before delivering a pin-point cross for Adriano to rifle in.

Impudent chip
There was no way back for Partizan and nine minutes after the restart Jadson made sure with an impudent chip after the Serbian side failed to clear their lines. Centre-back Rakitskiy added another when he converted Răzvan Raţ's low cross midway through the second period as Shakhtar, 4-1 winners at Club Brugge KV a fortnight ago, go two points clear atop Group J. Without a point, Partizan are bottom.