The Brazilian bagged a hat-trick in the 5-2 Group E win in the Danish capital but the game turned on an unsavoury episode after 26 minutes.
Seemingly unaware that his team mate Willian was attempting to play the ball back to Nordsjaelland's goalkeeper after Morten Nordstrand had received treatment, Adriano pounced on the pass to slot home and make it 1-1.
"Their attacker didn't get it," Nordsjaelland captain Nicolai Stokholm told reporters.
"I looked down at my armband, and there's something about respect - it has to be said we didn't see much of that.
"We thought that they would give us a goal. Half their team seemed to think so too, but the other half didn't."
Luiz Adriano's effort, which cancelled out Nordstrand's deft volleyed opener for the Danes, led to an angry reaction from the Nordsjaelland players and was greeted with jeers and whistles from the incredulous home crowd.
"I hope my boy was in bed by the time Shakhtar scored a goal of that character - that sort of thing doesn't belong anywhere," said Nordsjaelland sporting director Jan Laursen, whose modest Danish champions had been enjoying their first taste of elite European action until Tuesday's incident.
However, Ukraine's Shakhtar were the better side and went about the task of dismantling the Danish challenge.
