Celtic 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk: Bhoys' hopes of Europa League consolation crushed

By Sports Desk October 25, 2022

Celtic's hopes of securing a spot in the Europa League knockout stages came to an end after a 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk at Celtic Park.

The Bhoys needed a win in their penultimate Champions League group-stage match to have a chance of continental football in the new year, and Georgios Giakoumakis put the hosts ahead nine minutes before the break, tucking in after Liel Abada's shot was blocked.

But Mykhailo Mudryk's fine form in the competition continued when he smashed in a second-half equaliser from outside the box, his fifth goal involvement in five matches (three goals, two assists).

Both sides then squandered big opportunities for a winner, with Kyogo Furuhashi firing straight at Anatolii Trubin when one-on-one and Danylo Sikan somehow missing an open goal after Mudryk's square pass.

Furuhashi's missed chance was particularly costly for Celtic as they exited Europe, unable to finish anywhere other than bottom of Group F.

Yet a Sikan winner would also have had a huge impact on Shakhtar's ambitions, as they are third and now require a win against RB Leipzig in their final match to reach the Champions League last 16.

Related items

  • Al-Ittihad 2-1 Al-Nassr: Bergwijn nets last-gasp winner for leaders Al-Ittihad 2-1 Al-Nassr: Bergwijn nets last-gasp winner for leaders

    Steven Bergwijn's last-gasp winner earned Al-Ittihad a huge victory in their quest for the Saudi Pro League title, beating Al-Nassr 2-1 at King Abdullah Sports City on Friday. 

    Karim Benzema had given the hosts a 55th-minute lead before Cristiano Ronaldo levelled two minutes later, but Bergwijn struck the decisive blow in second half stoppage time. 

    In a tepid opening 45 minutes, clear-cut chances were hard to come by, with Bergwijn and Benzema going closest for the hosts, but unable to trouble Bento. 

    However, Al-Ittihad got themselves in front shortly after the break when Muhannad Al Shanqiti picked out Benzema, with the Frenchman on hand to tuck the ball home.

    But the hosts' joy was short-lived after Angelo saw his effort cleared off the line by Danilo Pereira, before the Brazilian laid the ball back to Ronaldo to level the scoring. 

    With the game looking to end all square, Al-Ittihad stole the three points at the death as Bergwijn cut inside before curling a right-footed effort into the far-left corner. 

    The result moved Al-Ittihad three points clear at the summit, though Al-Hilal can go level with them with a win over Al-Raed on Saturday. Al-Nassr, meanwhile, stayed in fourth. 

    Data Debrief: Bergwijn bursts Ronaldo's bubble

    Al-Ittihad have often been second best in their encounters with Al-Nassr, but they earned an impressive victory against Ronaldo's side, though it may not have been deserved. 

    They managed an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.66 from their 11 shots compared to Al-Nassr's 1.2 from the same number of attempts. 

    Benzema also ended his goal drought against Al-Nassr, having failed to score against them in his previous game against them. The former Madrid striker ended the game with a team-high xG of 0.36, while also having more shots (seven) and touches in the opposition box (four) than any of his team-mates. 

    Al-Ittihad have now won their last nine league matches, their second-longest streak in the competition after 10 wins between October 2021 and February 2022, while also triumphing in their eighth-straight home match in the Pro League. 

  • Celtic go seven points clear of Aberdeen after narrow win Celtic go seven points clear of Aberdeen after narrow win

    Reo Hatate secured Celtic a narrow 1-0 victory over second-placed Aberdeen, sending them seven points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.

    The Japanese international struck in the 78th minute, meeting Greg Taylor's pass over the top to rifle the winner into the bottom corner.

    In a tight first half, Duk was denied by Kasper Schmeichel before Alistair Johnson's header was turned narrowly past the post by Jamie McGrath.

    Paulo Bernardo thought he had given Celtic the lead when he scored directly from a corner, though the goal was ruled out due to a foul on Ross Doohan.

    Ester Sokler had the opportunity to equalise late on, only for Cameron Carter-Vickers to turn his effort over the bar as Celtic kept an 11th clean sheet of the season. 

    Meanwhile, Rangers continued their recent run of fine form with a 6-0 thrashing of Kilmarnock.

    It was their second win by that scoreline this season, having also beaten Ross County on matchday three, with James Tavernier opening the scoring in the 37th minute with his first goal of the campaign.

    Philippe Clement's side turned up the heat after the break, with two goals in two minutes from Danilo and Hamza Igamane putting them 3-0 up.

    Vaclav Cerny then drove a reverse shot into the back of the net shortly after the hour mark before substitute Cyriel Dessers scored two first-time goals to move Rangers just four points behind Aberdeen with a game in hand. 

  • Wiegman hails England's 'solid' defence against USA Wiegman hails England's 'solid' defence against USA

    Sarina Wiegman praised England's defensive work in an "intense" game against the United States after they played out a 0-0 draw at Wembley.

    The Lionesses struggled to find their rhythm in attack, managing just four shots throughout the game, with only one of those on target – a Leah Williamson header in the 55th minute.

    However, they also limited the USA to just three shots on target, with Mary Earps the standout performer as she helped to keep the Olympic champions at bay.

    After losing their last friendly at Wembley 4-3 to Germany, Wiegman was pleased to see a marked improvement as England step up their preparation for Euro 2025.

    "This shows where we are at, and we need to keep improving," Wiegman told ITV. "It is November now. This is good, but we want to be better again. We have to be better again.

    "I thought it was a very intense game. Of course, we know the USWNT is very dynamic [and] explosive in going forward.

    "Our defence was solid, we were defending as a team, very strong. They challenged us on the wings; I think we solved that well, and in the box, we defended that pretty good. I'm happy with the team performance."

    The visitors thought they had scored a winner at the start of the second half, only for Lindsey Horan's finish to be ruled out for offside.

    They were also awarded a penalty in the 65th minute for an Alex Greenwood handball, though VAR overturned it after replays showed it hitting her torso.

    The USA are now unbeaten in each of their last 20 friendly matches (W17 D3), keeping a clean sheet in 16 of those matches.

    Emma Hayes also maintained her unbeaten start on her homecoming and was proud of how her team performed.

    "When you have to play England, especially after the defeat to Germany, we knew there was going to be a reaction to that performance," Hayes told ITV.

    "I got the chance to see so many younger, less experienced players. It is so important because we are building towards something. I am proud of the way we imposed ourselves on the game. Generally, I am pleased with the performance.

    "We had a goal disallowed, it was never a penalty, but you saw the entries into the final third it was us more than them. We are at a developmental stage, and I am proud of the way we played. In the Olympics, I saw some composure in our play. I am proud.

    "You've got two top teams. Sarina's an amazing coach. It was a good tactical match-up. I just enjoy coaching. I live in football matches, to be honest with you."

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.