Real Madrid rocked by shock Shakhtar Donetsk defeat in Champions League

Real Madrid suffered a shock 3-2 home defeat to a makeshift Shakhtar Donetsk side, their second loss in five days.

Zinedine Zidane, who was without a host of injured players including Dani Carvajal, Eden Hazard and Sergio Ramos, saw his side deliver a toothless and flat first-half performance.

Shakhtar, who had ten first-team players ill or injured, created the better chances in the first half on the counter-attack and took the lead through Tete's low finish in the box.

After Luka Jovic missed a sitter, the Ukraine side doubled their lead when Thibaut Courtois could only parry Tete's long-range drive and Raphael Varane put the rebound into his own net.

And it got even worse for Los Blancos when Tete's deft backheel found Manor Solomon free in the box and he rifled the ball into the corner to make it 3-0.

Karim Benzema was brought on at the break and the home side became more clinical with more movement in the final third. Luka Modric started the fightback with a stunning strike from around 25 yards, his first goal since January.

Vinicius Jr, who came on for the ineffective Jovic, made it 3-2 with his first touch after dispossessing Marlos.

But the visitors held on despite spurning some good opportunities of their own, and Federico Valverde's stoppage time strike being ruled out for offside, to pile on the misery for Real ahead of El Clasico with Barcelona.

Too many reasons to mention. The lack of senior players seemed to hurt them in terms of leadership.

But they were outhustled and tactically outclassed, similar to the wekeend loss against Cadiz.

And the selection of Jovic as a lone striker was a strange one. Perhaps Zidane took Shakhtar too lightly leaving Benzema, Vinicius Jr and Toni Kroos on the bench.

The Ukraine side have eight players aged 23 and under and the forward is among them. His runs behind the Real defence were clever, he took his goal well and could have bagged a hat-trick.

REAL MADRID: Courtois 5, Milito 4, Varane 4, Asensio 5, Modric 7, Marcelo 7, Casemiro 6, Valverde 5, Jovic 3, Mendy 4, Rodrygo 5. Subs: Benzema 6, Vinicius Jr 8, Kroos 5.

SHAKHTAR: Trubin 7, Dodo 6, Khocholava 6, Marcos 7, Dentinho 6, Marlos 8, Tete 9, Korniienko 8, Solomon 8, Maycon 8, Bondar 8. . Subs: Sudakov n/a, Vitao n/a, Yunnik n/a.

29' - GOAL FOR SHAKHTAR! Tete with a low finish in the box, he was unmarked, after a mazy run from Korniienko.

30' - WHAT A CHANCE! Marcelo's pinpoint cross finds Jovic whose attempted header hits his shoulder and is straight at the keeper.

33' - GOAL FOR SHAKHTAR! Courtois parries a shot from Tete from outside the box and Varane on the stretch puts the rebound into his own net!

42' - GOAL FOR SHAKHTAR! A backheel from Tete finds Solomon who rifles a low shot into the corner.

54' - GOAL FOR MADRID! Marcelo tees up Modric who pulls of a dummy then rifles the ball into the top corner from 25 yards. Stunning strike.

59'- GOAL FOR MADRID! Vinicius Jr, who has just come on, dispossesses Marlos then tucks it into the bottom corner Game on.

90'+2 - DISALLOWED GOAL FOR MADRID! Valverde with a low deflected strike which goes into the net. But it is chalked off for offside.

Vinicius Junior is the fastest scoring substitute in the Champions League since records began in 2006-7. He scored 15 seconds after entering the fray.