Celtic rue missed chances in 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk

The Scottish champions created a host of chances but had to settle for a draw.

Celtic rue missed chances in 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League SNS Group

Celtic earned their first point in their Champions League group with a 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk but were left to rue missed chances in Warsaw.

The Scottish champions had taken the lead after ten minutes, when Reo Hatate’s shot found the net after a touch off Artem Bondarenko, but Mykhalo Mudryk equalised after half an hour.

Celtic created the majority of chances in the game but couldn’t find a winner and had to settle with a point away from home before their double-header against RB Leipzig.

Manager Ange Postecoglou had spoken about his side’s need to take chances like those created against Real Madrid last week before the European champions had turned on the style and he saw his side make an attacking start once again.

Kyogo Furuhashi forced a block from Shakhtar keeper Anatoliy Trubin in the opening moments and Matt O’Riley tested him with a header minutes later.

The Ukrainian side looked happy to sit in and wait for a counter but paid the price after just ten minutes.

A long pass from Josip Juranovic was collected by Haksabanovic. The winger slipped a clever ball in to Hatate as he drove into the box and when he played the ball into the middle it nicked off Artem Bondarenko and into the net.

Celtic were dominant and Furuhashi almost punished slack play by Trubin just after the goal. Haksabanovic was next to try his luck and Jenz had a good chance on 27 minutes but found Trubin with his shot when he might have picked out the far corner.

The failure top convert chances proved costly just before the half hour. Mudryk raced on to a through ball wide on the left and he outpaced Juranovic before lashing a shot past Joe Hart.

Shakhtar were suddenly flying and former Celt Maryan Shved had a goal ruled out moments later, the ball having gone just out of play before being played in to him. The attacker went close again when he hit a curling shot that Hart had to be smart to save with one hand.

Jota had a shot that showed Celtic weren’t completely on the back foot but the sides went in at half-time level.

Daizen Maeda replaced Haksabanovic at the break and had an early chance to score but couldn’t quite get to the rebound from a Jota effort. The Portuguese winger went on a mazy run minutes later that ended with a weak shot that was easily stopped.

Midway through the half, Postecoglou made a familiar change, freshening up his side with three changes and introducing David Turnbull, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Aaron Mooy for Hatate, O’Riley and Furuhashi.

Turnbull almost made an instant impact, curling a shot over the bar as Celtic continued to be on top but lacking the goal they desired.

With ten minutes to go, Maeda put a bicycle kick wide after a Giakoumakis header set him up and the Greek striker then thumped a shot of his own past the post.

Shakhtar, who had won 4-1 against RB Leipzig on matchday one, sat back and seemed content with a point, and despite a continued push, Celtic had to settle for a share of the spoils and their first Group F point.

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