UEFA Youth League
Group F, Matchday Five
Tuesday, 25 October, 2022
Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie

CELTIC… 0

SHAKHTAR DONETSK… 1
(Pohorilyi 63)

Celtic’s penultimate game in this season’s UEFA Youth League ended in defeat as Shakhtar Donetsk left Airdrie with a 1-0 victory.

A second-half strike from Vladyslav Pohorilyi earned the Ukrainian side all three points, a result that ultimately ends the young Hoops chances of qualifying for the next round.

The Celts started brightly and almost took the lead twice in the opening 15 minutes, with Rocco Vata forcing Denys Tvardovskyi into a save from 25 yards, before Adam Brooks stung the goalkeeper’s hands again with an effort from a tight angle.

Brooks was then provided with the golden opportunity to put the Hoops into the lead on 19 minutes as Matthew Anderson was pulled down inside the area and the referee pointed to the spot.

Having scored in the reverse fixture in Poland, Brooks stepped up to try and score his second goal in the UEFA Youth League, but the striker pulled the penalty wide of the left-hand post.

It was a blow to Celtic, but it didn’t stop them in their tracks as Anderson went agonisingly close on 24 minutes, with his shot from 20 yards saved by the keeper on to the crossbar and then bouncing off the line.

From the rebound, Shakhtar went straight up the other end and forced Tobi Oluwayemi into his first stop of the afternoon, getting down low to save Kyrylo Siheiev’s effort from the bottom left corner.

The Celtic keeper was at his best on 41 minutes, producing a stunning double save to keep out Vladyslav Pohorilyi’s shot from inside the area and then reacting well to stop Marian Farina’s rebound.

Right on the stroke of half-time, Celtic had the junction of post and bar to thank for seeing them into the break at 0-0, as Anton Drozd’s free-kick from a crossing position on the left beat everyone and hit the upright before bouncing clear of danger.

Into the second-half and Celtic started brightly, with Tsoanelo Letsosa firing a first-time effort just wide of the right post inside the opening few minutes.

For the next 15 minutes, Shakhtar were the side in control, going close from a free-kick on 52 minutes, before taking the lead on the 63^rd minute.

Andrii Buleza worked his way down the left flank and fired a lot ball into the box which Pohorilyi snapped up, sliding in to poke the ball into the back of the net.

The chances were few and far between from there on out, with the Celts unable to really carve open a opportunity on goal to try and get back on level terms.

CELTIC: Oluwayemi, McPherson, Corr, Robertson, Anderson, Kelly (Easton), Summers (Thomson), Letsosa, Davidson, Vata (Quinn), Brooks.
Subs: Clarke, Mackenzie, Dobbie, Jackson, Easton.

SHAKHTAR DONETSK: Tvardovskyi, Rosputko, Savchenko, Farina, Buleza, Losenko (Bashmarin), Drozd (Yushchenko), Yanovich, Pohorilyi (Chuiko), Siheiev, Pushkarov (Oharkov).
Subs: Barchenko, Bundash, Bats.

Euro disappointment for young Celts as they lose out to Shakhtar Donetsk