Shakhtar Donetsk 1 Celtic 1: Wasteful Hoops held to draw in Poland after Mudryk equaliser
THE Seagulls might be looking at Celtic’s manager.
But the Hoops’ Champions League group campaign is still waiting to properly take flight.
They jetted out of Warsaw after pocketing their first point in the competition for five years.
But after again dominating a lot of the ball they were left frustrated it wasn’t also their first win.
Just as a week earlier, a Shakhtar Donetsk side ravaged by war emerged with something after being happy to concede the ball for long spells.
It had all been going so well for Postecoglou – among the early favourites for the vacant Brighton post – when Artem Bondarenko deflected Reo Hatate’s effort past his own keeper in the 11th minute.
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But Ukrainian superkid Mykhaylo Mudryk levelled out of nowhere on the half hour.
The Hoops dictated after the break but couldn’t find a second goal as their dismal away day run in the group stages continues.
Incredibly they have now managed just one clean sheet in their last 34 trips and picked up only two away wins from 31 journeys.
The draw follows on from last week’s 3-0 home defeat to Real Madrid.
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As good as a point on the road might be in its own right it means they now have to try to take something again when they travel to German side RB Leipzig at the start of next month.
The game was played 1,000 miles from Shakhtar’s Donbass Stadium as Russia continues to attack Ukraine.
A pre-match video had reminded everyone inside the stadium where the real battlefield is right now.
Shakhtar had seen 13 of their players take advantage of a FIFA rule allowing them to leave for free because of the conflict.
It meant eight of the 11 who started had come through their academy including Mudryk, who Everton failed to land for £30 million in the summer and now has Arsenal chasing him.
The Hoops’ last Champions League involvement with a team in Warsaw was back in 2014, when they were crushed 6-1 by Legia on aggregate in the third qualifying round only to be reinstated after the Polish side played an ineligible player.
With both teams wearing black armbands Celtic typically started on the front foot and created a handful of half chances within the first five minutes.
Less than 120 seconds after kick-off a poor pass out from Shakhtar was seized on by O’Riley who slotted in Kyogo but the Japanese striker’s shot was saved by Anatoliy Trubin.
Sead Haksabanovic – handed his first start since joining from Rubin Kazan – then slotted in Greg Taylor whose shot come cross sailed wide.
Moments later Jota picked out O’Riley but his header lacked the power to trouble Trubin.
But their pressure eventually told as they took the lead.
A long ball forwards from Josip Juranovic was picked up by Haksabanovic, who rolled the ball into Hatate’s path.
He aimed a pass towards Kyogo but instead the ball deflected off Bondarenko to catch out Trubin.
As the ball rolled goalwards Kyogo opted not to help it on its way and instead turned to celebrate as it crossed the line.
Hatate had scored at the same end of the stadium just two months ago when Celtic took part in Artur Boruc’s testimonial.
But this strike was so much more important as the Hoops netted their first away goal in a Champions League group game since Moussa Dembele’s effort in the 7-1 loss to PSG in November 2017.
Moritz Jenz had a chance to double their lead when the ball dropped to him inside the box but Trubin blocked again.
Shakhtar had beaten RB Leipzig 4-1 on Matchday One despite having just 36 percent possession and boss Igor Jovicevic went with a similar approach last night.
That plan worked perfectly as the Ukrainian champs burst forwards and bagged an equaliser on the half hour.
It was virtually their first chance of the game but they made the Hoops pay in devastating fashion.
Heorhiy Sudakov collected the ball then quickly threaded in a pass that left Juranovic on his heels as Mudryk cut inside the Croatian.
Mudryk burst forwards and smashed a shot that Joe Hart might think he should have done better with as he got a hand to the ball only to help it on its way into the goal.
The Hoops looked rattled and Shakhtar had the ball in the net again less than three minutes later.
This time is was former Hoops wideman Marian Shved, who rattled past Hart at the second time of asking after more Mudryk magic down the left.
But his joy was short-lived as he turned to see the assistant’s flag raised for offside.
By now the fans inside the Legia stadium – many of them Ukrainian evacuees – had found a voice and were cheering on their country’s champions.
Shved – who made just three Hoops appearances – went close again, going on a mazy run before curling in a dipping left foot shot which a diving Hart pushed away.
Celtic had completely dropped out of the game and Postecoglou needed half-time to settle things down. The Celts gaffer replaced Haksabanovic with Daizen Maeda at the break.
Jota, playing on the left, forced Trubin to push away an early curling effort. The goalie then did the same to an O’Riley strike midway through the second half.
On 68 minutes Aaron Mooy, David Turnbull and Giorgos Giakoumakis were sent on for Hatate, O’Riley and Kyogo.
Giakoumakis passed up a great chance with five minutes left, spooning wide when the ball found its way to him inside the box.
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In a late onslaught Maeda diverted Juranovic’s cross past the post and Giakoumakis saw a chance cleared off the line by Valeriy Bondar.
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