Athletic Bilbao secured their first Champions League win of Group E by beating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 in Ukraine tonight.
Mikel San Jose scored the only goal of the game midway through the first half to give the Spaniards - who are already eliminated - their maiden victory of the campaign.
Below, Sports Mole brought you minute-by-minute updates of a smash and grab victory in Lviv.
6.47pmHello! I'm Shane and I'll be guiding you through Shakhtar Donetsk's Group E clash with Athletic Bilbao. It's matchday five in the Champions League but only one of these two clubs has a chance of reaching the latter stages.
6.50pmIndeed, just a point will see Shakhtar progress to the last 16, but Bilbao, unfortunately, are out of contention for the knockouts. They can, however, hook up with the competition's less attractive, rotund sister: the Europa League. *Shivers*.
6.53pmErnesto Valverde's side are bottom of the group and yet to win a game, but they'll need to get off the mark tonight if they are to snatch third place away from Bate Borisov, and the Spaniard insisted that his troops are fully focused on getting the victory here this evening. He told UEFA.com on Monday: "Our goal is to play good football against a very strong team and try to win here. We know we can't stay in the Champions League but we will do our best to qualify for the Europa League. It's also a great competition."
6.57pmShakhtar come into this one on the back of some truly red-hot form on the continent, my friends. Mircea Lucescu's side have scored 12 goals in their last two - both against Bate Borisov - and Luiz Adriano has hit eight of those believe it or not. Bate are actually two points above Bilbao, so it doesn't inspire confidence for Los Leones does it?
6.58pmRight let me find some team news for you to chew on. I'll have this very soon.
7.01pmUPDATE: Before we get down to the nitty and gritty of team news, I can confirm that Shakhtar are now through to the next round after third-placed Bate lost 3-0 at home to Porto. Read more on this here.
7.03pmSHAKHTAR DONETSK XI: Pyatov; Shevchuk, Srna, Kuchar, Rakitskiy; Stepanenko, Costa, Fernando, Teixera; Taison, Luiz Adriano
7.04pmATHLETIC BILBAO: Iraizoz; De Marcos, Etxeita, Viguera, Balenziaga; Beñat, Iturraspe, Mikel Rico; Susaeta, San Jose, Muniain
7.08pmOkay let's start with the hosts and I can tell you that Luiz Adriano and compatriot Taison start up top. There are three more Brazilians in midfield, with Alex Teixeira, Fernando and Douglas Costa lining up with Taras Stepanenko. Vyacheslav Shevchuk, Oleksandr Kucher, Yaroslav Rakitskiy and Darijo Srna start in defence as expected, in front of goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov.
7.11pmOn to Bilbao now and it looks like Iker Muniain is the focal point in a three-pronged attack for the visitors, with Borja Viguera and Markel Susaeta also in there. Benat, Mikel Rico and Gorka Iturraspe form a three-man midfield, with Mikel San Jose, Xabier Etxeita, Mikel Balenziaga and Oscar De Marcos lining up in defence. As ever, Gorka Iraizoz lines up between the sticks and that's your lot!
7.13pmHere are the subs, by the way.
SHAKHTAR SUBS: Kanibolotskiy, Kryvtsov, Fred, Bernard, Marlos, Dentinho, Gladkiy
BILBAO SUBS: Erik Morán, Bustinza, Iago Herrerín, Iraola, Gurpegi, Aduriz y Unai López
7.17pmDoes Shakhtar's progression change things here then? Not really. They would've earmarked victory here regardless of officially qualifying for the last 16 because they won't want Porto - who now sit five points ahead of them in Group E - to qualify as group winners. They need to win tonight to keep the pressure on the leaders ahead of meeting them in matchday six. What a massive game that is if they beat Bilbao here this evening.
7.21pmDANGER MAN: Believe it or not folks, but Shakhtar hitman Luiz Adriano could break a Champions League record set by none other than Cristiano Ronaldo tonight. The Brazilian has already scored eight goals in the competition and another would see him break the Portuguese's record of nine in the group stages. He's actually managed that eight-goal haul in his last two games! #ominous
7.24pm
Will Luiz Adriano surpass Cristiano Ronaldo's record for a single group stage? Shaktar's №9 needs just one goal! pic.twitter.com/vLFyyW8O4w
— Bogdan Buga (@UEFAcomBogdanB) November 25, 20147.27pmWho can Bilbao look to for a bit of goalscoring inspiration then? That's anyones guess! Valverde's troops have only scored twice in the competition thus far, with Aritz Aduriz and Guillermo Fernandez Hierro bagging the goals. Markel Susaeta and Iker Muniain both have nine career goals in European competition overall, though, so maybe they'll bring their Europa League proficiency into the Champions League this evening.
7.30pmThey'll miss Aduriz tonight surely. He has five goals in 10 La Liga outings this season but he's been rested tonight by Valverde it seems. Hopefully it's injury-related and not a case of prioritising league football over this tournament. I don't understand why some managers do it; fight for eight or nine months to secure a spot in the Champions League, and then rest big players when they get there. It's odd.
7.33pmPREDICTION: We're about 12 minutes from kickoff so let's lodge a prediction, shall we? It's hard to back against the hosts here, isn't it? I fancy they'll have slightly too much, but Bilbao will be buoyed by that Bate result, with Valverde's side knowing that victory will put them in the Europa League spots. However, it's hard to get motivated for a place in that competition, and I reckon Shakhtar want top spot in Group E more than the Spaniards want a spot in Europe's secondary tournament. 2-0 home win. There we go then.
7.36pmIncidentally, Shakhtar beat Bilbao Under-19s when the sides met a few hours ago. Can the senior team enjoy a similar thumping? Probably not, but let's hope there are goals galore because they played out a 0-0 draw in San Mames in September. Zzzzzz. One or two Bilbao fans might actually take the opportunity to get a kip after bringing a massive duvet to the Arena Lviv.
#Athletic fans have arrived to Arena Lviv for #UCL match vs #Shakhtar pic.twitter.com/dvrUSTQIgq
— Bogdan Buga (@UEFAcomBogdanB) November 25, 20147.39pmPlenty of noise in the Arena Lviv so far, but a lot of these aren't actually Shakhtar fans. We must remember that the Ukrainians are playing around 700 miles away from their own stadium the Donbass Arena due to the unrest in the city at the moment. So, the make-shift Shakhtar fans are doing a decent it has to be said.
7.42pmIs Ed Sheeran playing a Kiev gig in the coming days? I ask because Mark Clattenburg is refereeing this one and something must've drawn him to officiating a freezing cold night in Ukraine.
1 minKICKOFF: And we're off in Lviv, my friends. Stay tuned for what will hopefully be a decent clash.
3 minPretty uninspiring start so far it has to be said, a lot of loose passes but Bilbao probably edging the possession stakes. The visitors are wearing their green away shirt tonight, by the way.
7 minCHANCE: Oh this is such a poor finish. Teixeira finds himself through on goal with Iraizoz but the Brazilian fires a low shot straight into the Spaniard's chest. Such a good chance to open the scoring for the hosts. Will he regret that?
9 minShakhtar by far the better team in recent minutes but you wonder if that earlier chance will play on their minds a little. It could and most certainly should be 1-0 to the hosts.
11 minSHOT: Bilbao fashion their first attempt at goal, as Benat whips in a decent corner but defender Mikel San Jose failed to keep his under under the crossbar. He might've done better then.
14 minLeft-back Shevchuk should've done better here. The veteran defender marauds forward on that wing and has plenty of time to pick out a white shirt in the box, but his cross is anticipated by Iraizoz. Poor.
16 minLucesu's men well on top now but still struggling to fashion another goalscoring chance after Teixeira's earlier howler. Douglas Costa does well to throw a cross in, but it's cut out by San Jose. Hmm. We need a goal I think.
19 minBilbao's focal point Borja Vigueora hasn't had a kick so far. He's deputising for the "injured" Arduiz tonight but I'm really not sure he's had a touch as of yet.
21 minShakhtar keeper Pyatov is a touch lucky here. He collected a cross from Benat before rolling the ball out to Srna at right-back, but the skipper had his back turned and Muniain nipped in but he couldn't find a green shirt in the box.
23 minSHOT! Some promising signs of encouragement from Bilbao in recent minutes, and Mikel Rico has there first shot, but it's not the greatest and it rolls into the arms of Pyatov.
26 minCHANCE: San Jose is proving excellent at both ends of the field, glancing another Benat delivery just past the near post. Far better than his earlier effort.
29 minLuiz Adriano, with nine goals in the Champions League so far, hasn't been in this one at all to be fair. Bilbao doing a very good job at keeping him at bay thus far, but they'll have to be alert for the 90 minutes because he is lethal.
31 minSan Jose has been heavily involved in this half. He's Bilbao's only goal threat - despite being a centre-half - but he's very lucky not to have been given a yellow card after going in high on Teixeira there. The Brazilian, to his credit, did not make a meal of it.
33 minSUBSTITUTION: Valverde forced into an early sub as Bilbao defender Etxeita makes way for the veteran Carlos Gurpegi. He's not the quickest so that's probably why he didn't start. He makes Per Mertesacker look like Usain Bolt from what I remember of him.
36 minShakhtar keeper Dyatov is a bit of a lunatic I think. He's put his team in grave danger there again, plucking a Benat cross out of the sky before throwing it out to right-back Srna again. Problem was Srna was surrounded by about three green shirts. Dodgy keeping.
38 minSHOT! Teixeira looks to atone for his earlier miss by flashing an angled shot just wide of Iraizoz's post. Wasn't far away that.
40 minSHOT! Pretty decent end to this half now as Muniain flashes a very decent shot just wide of the post, but it was never troubling Pyatov I don't think. They need Muniain in the game a little more.
42 minBrilliant flicked header from Adriano looks to have set Taison through, but he couldn't beat San Jose and Bilbao avert the danger. Good play from Adriano.
45 minCHANCE! This is a really good chance for Shakhtar to end the half on a high, but Douglas Costa, after driving through the heart of Bilbao's midfield, has the entire goal to aim at on the edge of the box but dragged his shot dreadfully wide.
8.33pmHALF TIME: SHAKHTAR 0-0 BILBAO:
8.36pmThat was a very meh half of football to be honest. Shakhtar had the better of the chances, with Teixeira missing a sitter in the opening six or seven minutes, but they haven't taken any of them.
8.38pmBilbao have looked alright in fairness, but they need a focal point up there in attack. Viguera hasn't been given a sniff by Shakhtar's defence and, as it stands, he's looking a very poor alternative to the injured Aduriz it has to be said.
8.42pmAnyway, put the kettle on and meet me back here in about three minutes for the second half. I can't promise goals, because both sides have been very poor in front of goal, but I can promise that I'll poke fun at the players who miss chances.
45 minRESTART: Ah, hello again. We're back underway in Lviv so let's hope there's a bit more to write home about than what happened in the first half.
47 minSHOT! Douglas Costa takes a shot from outside the box, which Iraizoz could only palm away to Luiz Adriano, who let it roll for a corner for some reason.
50 minBOOKING: Clattenburg whips his yellow card out for the first time tonight to book Ander Iturraspe. Good decision by the Premier league ref.
54 minCHANCE: This is the best chance Adriano has had all night. Taison does well to cushion a header back to striker, who is lurking on the edge of the box but he flashes his shot well wide. Shocking finish.
57 minBrilliant from Gurpegi then. Adriano, who has looked more lively in this half, spun Muniain really well on the left-hand side, but Gurpegi got across really well to thwart the Brazilian. Good defending.
60 minAn hour into the game and it hasn't been great to be honest. Shakhtar well on top in this half but they're yet to rank a reward for their dominance. Bilbao, in truth, have offered absolutely nothing. Very disappointing display from them so far.
63 minBilbao have offered a marginal improvement in recent minutes but they're still massively out of this game. I don't see them scoring to be honest.
66 minSUBSTITUTION: Here he is. Adruiz comes on for Susaeta in a rare show of ambition from Bilbao it seems. He will partner Viguera up top for the last 25 minutes or so.
67 minBOOKING: Mikel San Jose goes into the referee's note book for a foul on Taison. Probably the right decision by Clattenburg again.
69 minGOAL! SHAKHTAR 0-1 BILBAO
70 minWhere on earth did that come from? Valverde's side move ahead in Lviv, as Mikel San Jose - who we said was their biggest goal threat, despite being a defender - gets the slightest of touches on a Benat cross to turn the ball home from close range. Woeful from Shakhtar.
71 minCLOSE! Lucescu's side go in search of an immediate riposte, but Luiz Adriano fires a Shevchuk cross just wide of the far post. Probably as close as the Brazilian has come.
73 minSHOT! Bilbao have a good chance to move two ahead, but Benat fires a free kick into the gut of Pytatov.
75 minBOOKING: Things are going from bad to worse for Shakhtar now as Luis Adriano is issued a yellow card, which rules him out of the final Group E clash with Porto. Mind you, if they fail to win tonight then there is nothing to play for in that one.
78 minCHANCE! Oh no this is a big chance. Muniain finds himself on the end of Adruiz's cushioned header, but he thrashes a horrendous volley well wide. That could've been game.
81 minI'm going to put my neck on the line and say Shakhtar aren't bagging an equaliser tonight. They've been so, so poor it's beyond belief. Nine minutes left.
84 minBOOKINGS: Clattenburg has been busy in the last few minutes, dishing out cards for Shakhtar's Darijo Srna and Bilbao "striker" Borja Viguera. Very little to report by way of Shakhtar chances, my friends.
87 minBilbao look more than happy to see this one out now, and why not? They're on the verge of their first Champions League win of the season, and they'll move third!
90 minPENALTY APPEAL! Wow. This was a stick-on penalty. Aduriz used his hand to deflect a goal-bound shot out for a corner and Clattenburg missed it! Shakhtar are livid, and rightfully so in my view.
90 minTHREE MINUTES ADDED ON:
9.37pmFULL TIME: SHAKHTAR DONETSK 0-1 ATHLETIC BILBAO
9.39pmDon't ask me how, folks, but Bilbao have beaten Shakhtar 1-0 in a game where we ought to re-write the definition of a smash-and-grab win quite frankly.
9.41pmThere was late drama when Clattenburg failed to spot a stick-on penalty after Aduriz used his hand to divert a goal-bound shot off course. Turned out to be a decent game after a pony first half.
9.42pmAnyway, thats all we've got time ladies and gents. Thanks for joining Sports Mole's live commentary and hang around for match analysis and player ratings for more. Cheers.
