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Champions League: Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Borussia Dortmund (Top 5)

The start of the second week of February is a special one for those in love. Madly in love with Champions League football. The knockout round of 16 kicked off with fixtures that haven't failed to impress. One match in particular laced with the hi-fi build-up was Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Borussia Dortmund at the Donbass Arena. Here are top 5 highlights from the first leg:

1. 31' - Dortmund kept most of the possession in the first half, but it was Shakhtar with the breakthrough when Darija Srna slot in a lovely, free-kick goal not even Weidenfeller could get a touch on.

2. 41' - Lewandowski didn't let his team down when 10 minutes later the Pole with the magic touch equalized for Die Borussen. Some will argue it was a lucky goal, but it was clever nonetheless. A perfect cross from Götze was miscalculated by Lewandowski, but he didn't hesitate to use his right foot to fire one past Andriy Pyatov. A calm Lewandowski and a clumsy Shakhtar defense made for intense drama going into second half.

3. 68' - Shakhtar showed off their Brazilian flair when Douglas Costa stepped up to deliver a scissor-kick from Rakitskiy's long-ball. This had to be the best goal of the night. Costa made an instant impact to put the score up 2-1 for his side. Not only that, he showed how a deadly combination of quality finish and control makes for one heck of a goal.

4. 87' - An unmarked Hummels rectified for his below-par performance when he smashed in a perfectly-timed header off of Schmelzer's corner kick. He emerged as the key player in the closing minutes to equalize the score for Dortmund at 2-2.

5. Taison's stamina on the field showed why Shakhtar elected to bring him in after Willian's departure to Anzhi Makhachkala. This marked the Brazilian's debut for the Ukrainian side. He impressed with his effective presence in attack and his style-of-play complimented the team. He looked alert throughout the game before being subbed off. I imagine he has more promising skills to showcase in Europe.

Without a doubt, the drama unfolded in this tie. Both sides played with the mentality to win and deserve to move on. However, only one can be victorious in the quest to become European Champions. The second leg will be held at Westfalenstadion. The intimidating scene of the stadium is an understatement. It will be interesting to see how Shakhtar will cope with the electrifying atmosphere and if Dortmund can rise from the pressure to seal the deal.

Predictions for the second leg? Let me know in the comments :)

Written by: Goral Patel

Follow me on Twitter: @goralpatel 

Image via ballspielvereinborussia - Tumblr