Chelsea win Uefa Youth League title after final victory over Shakhtar Donetsk

Chelsea's talented youngsters gave first-team manager Jose Mourinho something to ponder after beating Shakhtar Donetsk 3-2 in the final of the U19 Uefa Youth League.

Captain Isaiah Brown notched a brace for Adi Viveash's side, while Dominic Solanke added his 12<sup>th goal of an impressive campaign to make sure of a comfortable victory after Andreas Christensen had put the ball through his own net in the first half.

Chelsea, who routed AS Roma 4-0 in the semi-final, looked suitably menacing during the opening exchanges, moving forward quickly with no player dwelling in possession for too long.

They deservedly went ahead after seven minutes, with Brown, on the bench for the senior side during their 1-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on 12 April, easily finishing off a flowing passing move involving Charly Musonda that culminated with a well-timed cross from Solanke.

The latter had a chance to double the advantage shortly before the half-hour mark, but he could only send his shot high over the crossbar after Shakhtar were inexplicably caught in possession on the halfway line.

It looked for a brief time as if Chelsea could live to regret not taking full advantage of their early efforts, with Christensen accidentally looping the ball high over goalkeeper Bradley Collins and into the far corner as he attempted to cut out a low cross from the rapid Denys Arendaruk.

Despite responding well to that early deficit, Shakhtar were perhaps somewhat fortunate to go in level at the break and soon found themselves 3-1 down after just eight second-half minutes.

Solanke nodded home unmarked for Chelsea's second following good interplay with Jeremie Boga, while Brown was on target once again after deftly controlling a Boga cross with his right foot before cutting inside on his left and curling a wonderful shot past Oleh Kudryk.

The game fizzled out somewhat as a spectacle after that, with the English outfit coming close to extending their lead further through Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Solanke, who both lost composure at the vital moment.

Shakhtar mounted a quite sensational comeback in their own semi-final victory over Anderlecht courtesy of three goals in the final 14 minutes but could only find one late consolation here as Oleksandr Zubkov rendered the Chelsea defence obsolete with a lofted through ball that Viktor Kovalenko coolly slotted past Collins.

Viveash was understandably pleased with the effort of his players, who suffered just one defeat throughout the entire competition.

"It was a very good final against tough opposition," he said after the final whistle. "I'm immensely proud of all of my players."