Shakhtar Donetsk sparked emotional celebrations by beating RB Leipzig 4-1 in their first Champions League match since the brutal war between Russia and Ukraine began.
The Ukrainian side, whose country was invaded in February, have been ravaged by the ongoing conflict, with one of their coaches tragically being killed and more than a dozen players leaving this summer. But after an unbeaten start to their domestic campaign, Shakhtar claimed a memorable win in Germany and made their mark on a busy night of Champions League action.
Despite German cup winners Leipzig - who've sacked boss Domenico Tedesco in the wake of the shock defeat and lacklustre opening to the Bundesliga season - being the overwhelming favourites, former Celtic winger Marian Shved broke the deadlock after just 16 minutes, having signed for the club last week.
French defender Mohamed Simakan equalised in the second half, but Shved restored the Ukrainian giants' lead only a minute later. 21-year-old starlet Mykhaylo Mudryk, tipped for a move to Arsenal before the summer transfer window closed, and ex- Ajax forward Lassina Traore then rounded off the victory with late goals of their own.
Traore is one Shakhtar's three remaining foreign players and recently spent nine months on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury in last year's Champions League. The Burkina Faso international explained on Instagram that it "doesn't feel right" leaving, as he "always felt supported by everyone at the club" during his rehabilitation.
Football was halted in Ukraine for 254 days earlier this year due to the devastation caused by Vladimir Putin, with Shakhtar now playing their home matches in the capital of neighbouring Poland, Warsaw. Star players such as David Neres, Dodo and Marlon Solomon have departed, so Croatian manager Igor Jovicevic was forced to field a starting XI containing six players aged 23 or younger.
Eight of Jovicevic's side were developed by Shakhtar's academy or youth system, which only added to the poignant post-match scenes. The jubilant away fans revelled in their team's triumph, as a cluster of Ukrainian flags were proudly put on show amid the harrowing conflict back home.
"I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams such a game with four goals for us," Shakhtar captain Taras Stepanenko, who's spent 12 years at the club, told UEFA.com post-match. "But we played well and I feel we deserved that result tonight. Many of these young players are from the Shakhtar academy so they have the Shakhtar spirit and this really helps us a lot."
Speaking in his news conference, a beaming Jovicevic added: "[The players] fully deserved such a result, because they played with their hearts. When you play with your heart for the country, for Ukraine, it turns out the way it is today. I am completely proud of the team and I can say that I am now the happiest coach in the world.
"This is an unforgettable debut. All the guys gave themselves completely, absolutely everything - both the staff and everyone gave their energy to the team along with the fans who came to support us at the stadium, and we felt them all the time. This synergy is our strength.
"When a footballer has talent and starts playing with his heart, and today we played for the country, for Ukraine in the debut match, this is a very big plus for our team from a mental point of view. And at such a moment you forget about everything, you join the match and just fly across the field."
It was a contrasting night for Tedesco, who took the reins last December and won the the Red Bull -funded club's first major trophy, the DFB-Pokal, in May. "The decision to part ways with Domenico Tedesco was a very difficult one for us," Leipzig said in a statement announcing his sacking on Wednesday morning.
"We had a very successful second half of last season under his tenure and we qualified for the Champions League. Under his leadership, we also won the DFB-Pokal, our first major title, and he was part of the most successful season in our young club's history. For this, Domenico and his coaching staff deserve our gratitude.
"Domenico is a fantastic coach who will have a lot of success in the future. However, after our mediocre start to the Bundesliga season with five points from five games, along with the recent defeats to Eintracht [Frankfurt] and Shakhtar, we believe that a change of management is the right course of action to turn things round quickly."
Returning to Shakhtar, it's been a tough road back to action. The club declared in July that they were demanding €50million euros (£43m) worth of damages from FIFA. Their claim was due to lost transfer fees after football's global governing body ruled that foreign players in the country could suspend their contracts following Russia's invasion.
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Their enduring struggles, reflective of the entire nation of Ukraine since Putin viciously waged war on their land nearly seven months ago, only made Tuesday's win more memorable. In spite of devastating backdrop, Shakhtar have already earned more points and scored more goals than they earned in the entirety of last season's group stage.
Celtic are their next opponents in seven days' time, with the game set to be played at Legia Warsaw 's home ground. The Scottish champions lost 3-0 to holders Real Madrid in Group F's other match.
