Shakhtar Donetsk have put themselves in pole position to advance to the Europa League semi-finals with a 2-1 win away at Braga in the first leg of their quarter-final contest.

Hosts Braga were quickest out of the blocks, with Rafa Silva testing Andriy Pyatov inside two minutes with a firm strike from the edge of the area.

Braga continued to do more of the pressing, but it was a first half of few chances that was turned on its head just before the break.

Moments after Marlos had spurned Shakhtar's first chance of the contest, Yaroslav Rakitskiy gave the visitors the lead as his shot at the back post from a corner took a slight deflection and flew past Matheus.

The goal came against the run of play, but Shakhtar gained momentum heading into the second half and should have doubled their lead shortly after the resumption when Maksim Malyshev shot straight at Matheus from close range.

Braga responded by going close themselves shortly after through Rafa's firm shot that grazed the crossbar on its way over.

The home side began to grow in confidence again, but then fell two behind as Shakhtar hit them on the break.

Marlos found space down the right and picked out the unmarked run of Facundo Ferreyra, who cleverly lifted the ball over the advancing Matheus.

That goal appeared to kill off Braga, but the Archbishops gave themselves a lifeline for next week's return leg in the 89th minute when Baiano's cross was firmly met by substitute Wilson Eduardo.