Donetsk "Shakhtar" has practically secured its place in the next round of the UEFA Cup. On Thursday, Mircea Lucescu's charges beat "Stuttgart" in a German, pedantic and confident manner with a score of 0:2. Even the coaching skill of the experienced Giovanni Trapattoni did not help the home team. \n \nFrom the first minutes of the duel, both teams got down to business and the game on the field was even both in terms of chances and in ball possession. The first dangerous moment arose near "Shakhtar's" goal, when after a free-kick by Jon Dahl Tomasson the ball went just wide of the post. \n \nThe miners' response was also worthy. Matuzalem, on the run, dribbled past two "Stuttgart" players and shot accurately from about 19 meters, but the ball hit a defender. Already some 20 seconds later Tymoshchuk had a powerful go at the ball, but wide of the goal. \n \nIn the 26th minute Elano shot dangerously with a first-time effort, but the ball flew just past the top corner. Five minutes later the same Elano became the author of a goalscoring pass, crossing into the penalty area where Fernandinho headed the ball into Heinen's goal - 0:1. \n \nEven after scoring, "Shakhtar" did not retreat into a defensive shell and looked better than "Stuttgart". Moreover, what is uncharacteristic for the miners in recent games - it was a solid defensive performance, where the whole team played from Brandao to Elano. \n \nIn the 42nd minute "Stuttgart" created the last half-chance of the first half, when after a shot by Luboja the ball flew just past the post. \n \nThe start of the second half belonged to the visitors, who held the ball more but did not threaten Shutkov's goal as often. In the 58th minute the miners nearly conceded a goal, but Shutkov was in position after a deflection off Tiffert's leg. \n \nIn the 62nd minute, after a free-kick, Shutkov failed to hold the ball and Delpierre could have pounced on the rebound, but Brandao prevented him from doing so, taking the ball off his foot. \n\nTwo minutes later Matuzalem should have put an end to this game, having run one-on-one with Heinen, but failed to beat him… \n\n"Stuttgart" responded with an equally dangerous moment, but a header from practically point-blank range by Luboja was blocked by Shutkov. The 86th minute could have been the saving one for the German team. After a deflection Streller shot from three meters, but Shutkov reacts to the shot and saves it with his legs, and then also clears it with his hand. \n \nIn the 88th minute Mircea Lucescu's substitution paid off. Marica, who had replaced Matuzalem in the 84th minute, received a wonderful through pass between three defenders from Tymoshchuk and the Romanian forward, closing in on the goalkeeper, shot into the corner of the goal and it was 0:2. \n \n"Stuttgart" (Germany) - "Shakhtar" (Ukraine) - 0:2 \nGoals: Fernandinho 32, Marica 88 \nShakhtar: Shutkov, Srna, Tolga, Lewandowski, Rat, Tymoshchuk, Duljaj, Fernandinho (Vorobey 75), Matuzalem (Marica 84), Elano, Brandao. \n"Stuttgart": Heinen, Strantzel, Meira, Meissner (Gronkjaer), Tomasson (Streller 72), Tiffert, Delpierre, Soldo, Magnin, Luboja, Gentner (Cacau 46). \n \n \n \n*** \n \nThe tactic of playing for a draw from the first minutes proved fatal for Dnipropetrovsk "Dnipro" in the match of the second round of the group stage of the UEFA Cup against English "Middlesbrough". The team from Dnipropetrovsk was able to play on equal terms with the English only until the first conceded goal. But this was mostly not the merit of the "Dnipro" players, but the "sleepiness" of "Middlesbrough". \n \nHowever, gradually the hosts began to take their toll. The players of the Ukrainian club had practically nothing going in attack, but what could have worked when the "coach" of "Dnipro" did not field a single forward from the start.... Rykun could dribble past players several times, then either the ball was taken away from him, or an inaccurate pass followed. Rykun could not or did not want to play in tackling or pressing. A sort of Ronaldo from Dnipropetrovsk, but only with the difference that he doesn't score... \n\nThe flanks of the Ukrainian team looked doomed altogether. Semochko, having barely received the ball, tried to launch it into the penalty area and mostly inaccurately. Nazarenko and Shelayev moved a lot, but to no avail, without team play, without purpose... \n\n"Middlesbrough" waited for the "Dnipro" defense to make a mistake and got their wish. First, while chasing Mendieta, Yezerskyi fell on open ground, Mendieta entered the penalty area and past a crowd of defenders gave a precise pass to Ayegbeni, who with a shot into the corner of "Dnipro's" goal opened the scoring. A minute later Kusliy's skill saved the team after a shot by Mendieta, when the Ukrainian goalkeeper pulled the ball out of the top corner. \n\nThe hope that in the second half "Dnipro" would "come alive" did not come true. The Ukrainian team again started playing football in order not to concede and possibly to score, and was punished with two more goals. In the 50th minute Shershun lost a physical battle with Viduka and the Australian with a shot into the top corner riddled "Dnipro's" goal – 2:0. \n\nThe introduction of Melashchenko did not add activity to the Ukrainian guests' attack, while "Middlesbrough" scored again and again it was Viduka. First Kusliy saved a powerful shot from Morrison, but Viduka was first to the rebound, not the defenders of the Dnipropetrovsk team, and it was already 3:0. \n\nDuring minutes 60-70 "Middlesbrough" should have scored twice more. But from several meters Viduka missed the goal, and Morrison's shot was parried by Kusliy in a desperate dive. \n\nHaving scored three times, "Middlesbrough" calmed down, and "Dnipro" never got going. Nevertheless, the visitors could have forced "Dnipro" to restart from the center circle several more times, and in the added minute only Kusliy's excellent reaction saved "Dnipro" from a fourth goal after a shot from outside the penalty area by Nemeth. \n\n"Middlesbrough" - "Dnipro" - 3:0 \nGoals: Ayegbeni 36, Viduka 50, 56 \n"Middlesbrough": Schwarzer, Queudrue, Riggott, Pogatetz, Parnaby, Bates, Mendieta (Kennedy 60), Doriva, Morrison, Ayegbeni (Maccarone 57), Viduka (Nemeth 64) \n"Dnipro": Kusliy, Yezerskyi, Radchenko, Rusol (Lysytskyi 58), Shershun, Shelayev, Mykhaylenko (Motuz 66), Rykun, Semochko, Nazarenko, Kostyshyn (Melashchenko 52).