A thrilling final ten minutes warmed the supporters who had braved the cold in Donetsk and saw Nancy come away with a slight advantage for the second leg. It was a ten minutes that came at the end of an entertaining encounter, and the final flurry of drama ensured that the return fixture will be a potentially very watchable spectacle. Two goals in the space of three minutes and a red card sent blood coursing through cold veins both Ukrainian and French alike as the sides came out of the tie level, but with Nancy in the driving seat having secured an away goal.

Despite being without injured attacking midfielder Kim, Nancy started with an attacking line-up, Youssouf Hadji partnering Marc-Antoine Fortune in attack for the visitors, while the hosts fielded Bielik ahead of the experienced Vorobey and pacey striker Olexiy Gay. Nancy coach Pablo Correra's had his team fired up for this encounter and they refused to play into the Ukrainians' hands, instead going from the jugular straight from the off. Hadji produced a moment of brilliance inside the first five minutes, stealing possession deep in the Shakhtar half to unleash a swerving shot that produced early gymnastics from Bogdan Shust, who was at full stretch to tip the shot over the bar. Hadji and Fortune looked to be the two most enterprising players on the pitch, and Shakhtar found themselves pinned back, managing a total of only two shots in the first half. Fortune blazed over when in the clear and Hadji made a hash of a decent shooting opportunity after good build up play from the visiting side.

Nancy were equally impressive in the second half, but Shakhtar were no slouches,  Matuzelem was denied by the reflexes of French keeper Gregorini, while Bielik saw an attempt hit the crossbar. It was not until the game seemed to be all but over that Nancy got the breakthrough they had worked so hard for. Duchemin worked well in the box to find Fortune who got a shot off and the traveling French support went wild as the ball flew past Shust to break the deadlock. The wily Vorobey, a second half substitute for Bielik, though, refused to let his side lay down and die. A sizzling run down the flank from him was topped by a marvelous in-swinging cross for the Serbian International Dario Srna to head home. Both sides continued to press, and in the excitement, a poorly timed challenge on Curbelo saw Shakhtar captain Tymoshuk receive a second yellow and his marching orders right at the death of the game.

Nancy deserved their advantage, slender as it may be, and a delighted Correa spoke after the game of his "enormous satisfaction" at the result. "We will have the advantage of being in control in the home leg." He said. Romanian Donetsk coach Lucsecu said he believed that his side had been unlucky, but "only had themselves to blame after only converting one of their chances". With Tymoshuk suspended for the game in France, Nancy will certainly feel positively about this tie after a good result in unwelcoming conditions.