A goal by Olexandr Gladkiy is all that stands between Shakhtar Donetsk and Malmo at the halfway stage of the Champions League Group A clash in the Ukraine.

The hosts wasted no time in putting their opponents under pressure, with Bernard racing clear in the second minute and shooting straight at Malmo goalkeeper Johan Wiland.

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Markus Rosenberg shot narrowly wide at the other end moments later, before Marlos missed the target unmarked after being picked out by Gladkiy in the seventh minute.

Malmo almost took the lead in the 22nd minute when Rosenberg threaded a pass through to Nikola Djurdjic and the Serbian shot towards the bottom corner, an effort that was kept out by the palms of Anton Kanibolotskiy.

Shakhtar took the lead just before the half-hour mark through Gladky following a spell of intense pressure, the striker scrambling the ball over the line after his initial header was kept out by Wiland.

The Ukrainians bombarded the Malmo goal with chances in the run-up to half time, but the Swedes almost went into the break level as former Rotherham United man Kari Arnason put a free header wide in first-half stoppage time.