Euro 2012: Ukraine 0-2 France
The teams were forced off with just four minutes played because of the stormy conditions, returning almost an hour after the scheduled start.
Jeremy Menez opened the scoring in the second half when he drifted inside his marker and fired in from 12 yards.
Yohan Cabaye added a second with a low strike from the edge of the area.
It was the Newcastle midfielder's first international goal - moving into an advanced position to take advantage of a Ukraine defence that laboured in the heat and soggy footing inside the Donbass Arena.
The energy-sapping pitch was created by the earlier deluge.
There was no concern shown by Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers moments before kick-off, but by the fourth minute the rain had intensified and the storm had become electrical leaving the official with little option but to haul the players off the pitch.
Despite the storm subsiding 20 minutes later, there remained a doubt whether the rest of the match would be completed today because of the surface water. But following some emergency drainage work by the groundstaff, Kuipers gave the go-ahead for the match to restart.
It took a few minutes for the players to become accustomed to the new playing conditions, with the nimble French attack first to settle.
They provided the best goalmouth action in the first half, with Menez, Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery showing the most intent.
Paris St Germain winger Menez actually had the ball in the net but it was rightly ruled offside. Benzema also tested Andriy Pyatov with a rising stinging shot and a low drive.
It was centre-back Philippe Mexes who had the clearest chance of the first 45 when his powerful header from a corner had to be pushed away by Pyatov.
It was Bayern Munich's Ribery, impressive in the pre-tournament friendlies, who was the star of France side in Donetsk.
It was his wizardry that eventually found Menez on the right of the area. The winger picking up the pass before shifting inside Yevhen Selin and firing low inside the left-hand post.
The second goal came three minutes later. This time Benzema was the creator. The Real Madrid forward fed Cabaye on the edge of the 18-yard area, who escaped his marker Oleg Gusev and struck in low, BBC said.
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