Shakhtar Donetsk set up an all-Ukrainian UEFA Cup semi-final against Dynamo Kiev by securing a smash-and-grab triumph over Marseille at the Stade Velodrome to complete a comfortable aggregate victory, SportingLife reported.
Shakhtar built on their 2-0 home win in last week`s quarter-final first leg by going ahead on the half-hour mark through Fernandinho.
Needing to score four goals without reply, OM pulled one back when Hatem Ben Arfa slammed home two minutes before half-time but that was all they could muster.
After soaking up lots of pressure, Shakhtar broke forward three minutes into second-half stoppage time and Luiz Adriano finished with aplomb to seal victory on the night.
Dynamo, 15 points clear of Shakhtar at the summit of the Ukrainian top flight, are next up for Mircea Lucescu`s men, while Marseille - the new leaders in France`s Ligue 1 - are left to concentrate on wrapping up their first domestic title since 1992.
OM were already faced with an uphill task to qualify after a disappointing performance in Ukraine seven days ago but Fernandinho`s goal in the 29th minute made it a nigh-on impossible mission.
They dominated possession all night but save for Benoit Cheyrou`s dipping 13th-minute effort that just cleared the bar, they did not create a clear-cut chance before Shakhtar took the lead against the run of play.
It was a fortunate goal as well, coming from their first foray forward. Marseille right-back Charles Kabore chased down Fernandinho, who had ventured forward from left-back, but his attempted clearance struck the Shakhtar defender from close range, the ball rebounding past Steve Mandanda and in at the near post.
It now looked too tall an order for OM but they poured forward gamely and got their reward when Ben Arfa equalised just before the break.
The winger`s header from Kabore`s cross was kept out by Shakhtar goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov but Ben Arfa followed up to thrash home the rebound as the Velodrome erupted.
OM forward Baky Kone headed wide when unmarked eight yards out at the start of the second half and Cheyrou missed an even easier chance minutes later when he volleyed wide from a similar position.
Shakhtar were completely on the back foot but the hosts began to run out of ideas, with the crowd also beginning to lose hope.
Substitute Mamadou Samassa had a goal disallowed in the 79th minute when he was adjudged to have fouled Pyatov when going up for a high ball.
And salt was added to OM`s wounds in the third minute of injury time when Luiz Adriano nutmegged Mandanda for the winner.
Teams
Marseille Mandanda, Civelli, Taiwo (Zenden 46), Hilton,Cheyrou, Kabore, Cana, Valbuena (Samassa 65), Ben Arfa, Kone,Niang.
Subs Not Used: Riou, Mears, Zubar, D`Ulivo, M`Bami.
Booked: Cana, Cheyrou, Niang.
Goals: Ben Arfa 43.
Shakhtar Donetsk Pyatov, Chigrinsky, Rat, Kucher, Hubschman,Duljaj (Gai 45), Fernandinho (Lewandowski 73), Jadson,Ilsinho (Willian 54), Srna, Luiz Adriano.
Subs Not Used: Khudzamov, Shevchuk, Chyzhov, Gladkyy.
Booked: Luiz Adriano, Willian .
Goals: Fernandinho 29, Luiz Adriano 90.
Att: 50,000
Ref: Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain).
