UEFA Youth League
Legia Warsaw Training Centre, Warsaw, Poland
Wednesday, September 14, 2022

SHAKHTAR DONETSK… 2
(Yushchenko 25, Corr 55og)

CELTIC… 1
(Brooks 74)

Celtic were left disappointed after losing 2-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk on matchday two of the UEFA Youth League.

The game in Warsaw today (Wednesday) saw the young Hoops compete well throughout the 90 minutes, and although Adam Brooks managed to reduce the deficit after Shakhtar had taken a two-goal lead, the team were unable to find an equaliser.

Celtic started the match well and Rocco Vata had an early strike from close-range blocked, while Bruno Davidson drove into the box, though the Shakhtar goalkeeper intercepted his attempt to slide the ball to Adam Brooks.

At the other end, Dylan Corr did well to clear the danger as the Ukrainian side tried to set up a chance, while Celtic goalkeeper, Tobi Oluwayemi, produced a great save from a Shakhtar shot.

With just under 20 minutes gone, the Hoops won a corner, but Mitchell Robertson couldn’t direct his header from the set-piece on target.

And on 25 minutes, it was Shakhtar who grabbed the opening goal when Oleksandr Yushchenko slotted the ball home.

It was a blow for the young Celts, but they continued to press forward in search of an equaliser, and on the half-hour mark, Ben Summers and Bruno Davidson linked up well, with the latter having a shot inside a crowded area, but the Shakhtar defenders managed to block the attempt.

And with five minutes of the first-half remaining, Celtic had another chance to score. This time Davidson supplied the chance for Vata, but his effort went wide of the target.

The second-half saw Shakhtar Donetsk press forward and Dylan Corr did well again to clear the danger, but on 55 minutes, the home side doubled their lead when Ivan Losenko’s effort was deflected off Corr and into the Celtic net.

The Hoops then went close with a couple of efforts from Vata and Brooks just after the hour mark as they looked to find a way back into the game.

In the 67 minute, Celtic came close again when Matthew Anderson set up Summers on the edge of the box, but his effort was just past the post. And with just over 15 minutes remaining, the Hoops got the goal that their efforts deserves when Adam Brooks headed home to.

Galvanised by the goal, Celtic pushed forward in search of an equaliser but they were unable to carve out any clear-cut chances to test the Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper, and it was the Ukrainians who celebrated the win at full-time.

SHAKHTAR DONETSK: Tvardovskyi, Chuyko, Savchenko, Faryna, Buleza, Losenko, Yuschenko, Rosputko, Pohorilyi, Siheev, Hlushchenko.
Subs: Barchenko, Drozd, Oharkov, Yanovich, Tsukanov, Pushkaryov, Smetana.

CELTIC: Oluwayemi, Carse, Corr, Robertson, Anderson, Kelly (Dede 68), Letsosa (Thomson 62), Summers (Quinn 85), Vata, Davidson, Brooks.
Subs: Clarke, Mackenzie, Dobbie, Bonnar.

Celts in narrow UEFA Youth League loss to Shakhtar Donetsk