As expected, Dortmund began firmly on top and took the lead just after the quarter-hour mark. A sloppy backpass from the Shakhtar midfield allowed Nico Schlotterbeck to loft the ball into the area, where Karim Adeyemi fired towards the top corner.
His shot would likely have been blocked, but Serhou Guirassy cut in and bundled across the line to get the Yellow Wall singing and make it six goalscoring UCL games of a possible eight this term.
Schlotterbeck also proved crucial at the other end, as a last-ditch block prevented Heorhiy Sudakov from netting a certain equaliser on a rare breakaway for Shakhtar. Normal service soon resumed though, and another turnover allowed Maximilian Beier to launch a long ball forward.
The ball was taken down by Julian Brandt, and he deftly nudged it to the onrushing Guirassy, who fired into the far corner to double his and Dortmund’s tally at a crucial time in the match.
With no results going in their favour at the break, Der BVB’s only apparent option to avoid a playoff was to simply score as many as possible, and Guirassy nearly completed his hat-trick early in the second half, only for a point-blank save from Dmytro Riznyk to deny him.
It seemed as though a third BVB goal was only a matter of time, but not long after that frustrating episode, Shakhtar forged their way back into the game with a calamitous touch from Gregor Kobel, which allowed Marlon Gomes to slide in and roll the ball into the net.
Dortmund fans might have been forgiven for having flashbacks to the weekend’s stalemate from a 2-0 advantage against Werder Bremen.
But the hosts kept going, and another free kick drew another Hollywood save by Riznyk just after the hour mark – this time from Ramy Bensebaini’s header – suggesting that the landslide they desired wasn’t forthcoming. In the end, Shakhtar were mere bit players, with even a draw already being insufficient to keep them alive in the UCL.
Sensing blood as the visitors tired, Dortmund finished the job with just over 10 minutes of normal time remaining, doing so in majestic fashion with a delicious backheel from Gio Reyna putting Bensebaini through, upon which the Algerian chipped the ball past Riznyk.
However, the 10th spot was to be Dortmund’s final resting place, and they will now face Sporting CP or Club Brugge in a two-legged duel to reach the Round of 16 – something Der BVB have done in five of the last six UCL campaigns.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund)