| Match Pictures | Champions League | Matches: 2004 – 2005 | 2004-2005 Pictures |
Trivia
- Martin O'Neill admitted the injuries to Chris Sutton and Jackie McNamara in the defeat by Shakhtar showed his squad's "threadbare nature".
Review
A John Hartson cross after eight minutes skimmed off the face of the bar. David Marshall was called into action for the first time with 24 minutes gone when he pushed away a curling free kick by Dinca Razvan Rat. A fiercely-struck Chris Sutton drive from 25 yards after good hold-up work by Hartson forced Jan Lastuvka to get down well to keep the scores level. Celtic were forced into a change when Jackie McNamara failed to shake off an injury and he was replaced by the inexperienced Stephen McManus. Hartson should have opened the scoring seven minutes before half time following a Sutton knock-down, but the Welshman volleyed over from six yards. He passed up another good chance a few minutes later from a similar position when his control let him down. Celtic were dealt a further blow on the injury front when Sutton failed to reappear for the second half after stopping a powerful Anatoliy Tymoshchuk shot with his head. He was replaced by Ross Wallace.
It was the home side who took the lead after 57 minutes. The ball broke at the edge of the box to Matuzalem and his shot took a slight deflection on its way past David Marshall into the net.
Matuzalem doubled his tally just four minutes later, latching on to Vukic's pass before slotting the ball between Marshall's legs.
Celtic could have pulled one back on 64 minutes when Henri Camara's shot was parried by Lastuvka into the path of Hartson, but again the striker was wasteful as he fired over the bar.
Brandao did get a third goal, bursting through the middle before chipping the ball over the already-grounded Marshall.
Teams
Shakhtar Donetsk:-
Lastuvka, Tymoschuk, Stoican, Rat, Matuzalem, Vukic, Lewandowski, Barcauan, Aghahowa (Srna 72), Vorobyey (Brandao 75), Marica (Duljaj 45).
Subs not used:- Shutkov, Hubschman, Bielik, Lalatovic.
Goals:- Matuzalem 57, 62, Brandao 78.
Booked:- Barcauan.
Celtic:-
Marshall, McNamara (McManus 31), Balde, Varga, Agathe, Lennon, Juninho Paulista (McGeady 71), Petrov, Sutton (Wallace 45), Hartson, Camara.
Subs not used:- Hedman, Sylla, Pearson, Lambert.
Booked:- Hartson, Varga, Balde, Juninho Paulista.
Att:- 28,000.
Referee:- Rene Temmink (Holland)
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
Pictures
Articles
Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 Celtic
BBC
Celtic's hopes of Champions League qualification were all but ended as they suffered a second-half mauling by Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine.
The first half was goal-less, though Celtic lost Jackie McNamara and Chris Sutton to injury.
But Matuzalem put the home side ahead just before the hour-mark with a deflected shot from 20 yards.
The Brazilian slotted a second through the legs of Marshall before Brandao chipped the keeper for the third.
The first clear-cut opportunity fell to the home side. A cross from the left found Zvonimir Vukic inside the box, but his shot on the drop was just too high.
A John Hartson cross after eight minutes skimmed off the face of the bar before Mariusz Lewandowski headed narrowly wide at the other end.
David Marshall was called into action for the first time with 24 minutes gone when he pushed away a curling free kick by Dinca Razvan Rat.
A fiercely-struck Chris Sutton drive from 25 yards after good hold-up work by Hartson forced Jan Lastuvka to get down well to keep the scores level.
Celtic were forced into a change when Jackie McNamara failed to shake off an injury and he was replaced by the inexperienced Stephen McManus.
Hartson should have opened the scoring seven minutes before half time following a Sutton knock-down, but the Welshman volleyed over from six yards.
He passed up another good chance a few minutes later from a similar position when his control let him down.
Shakhtar came within inches of a goal themselves in the fourth minute of first half injury time, but Andrei Vorobyey glanced his header just past the post.
Celtic were dealt a further blow on the injury front when Sutton failed to reappear for the second half after stopping a powerful Anatoliy Tymoshchuk shot with his head. He was replaced by Ross Wallace
It was the home side who took the lead after 57 minutes. The ball broke at the edge of the box to Matuzalem and his shot took a slight deflection on its way past David Marshall into the net.
Matuzalem doubled his tally just four minutes later, latching on to Vukic's pass before slotting the ball between Marshall's legs.
Celtic could have pulled one back on 64 minutes when Henri Camara's shot was parried by Lastuvka into the path of Hartson, but again the striker was wasteful as he fired over the bar.
Tymoshchuk thundered a free kick goalwards with 15 minutes remaining. Marshall could only push the ball out and it required a fantastic sliding challenge by Stan Varga to prevent substitute Brandao adding to the scoring.
But just three minutes later Brandao did get a third goal, bursting through the middle before chipping the ball over the already-grounded Marshall.
O'Neill rues lack of squad depth
BBC
Shakhtar 3-0 Celtic
Celtic manager Martin O'Neill admitted the injuries to Chris Sutton and Jackie McNamara in the defeat by Shakhtar showed his squad's "threadbare nature".
"It was a real blow to lose them. At this level you need as many of your best players as possible," he said.
"I think the lack of depth in the squad was a definite factor in the defeat, though that's not an excuse.
"But you're asking young players to play in Europe before they've played 10 league games."
Asked if the lack of finances available to him were to blame for Celtic's position at the bottom of Champions League Group F, he added: "I don't believe if you spend £200m you will always win the Champions League.
"But I think if you spend £200m you have a better chance of winning it than if you don't spend £200m.
"Our position now is very difficult, but it's not irretrievable. The next match is of vital importance – we must get points on the board and we'll do our utmost to do that."
O'Neill was unhappy with the defending at the goals Celtic lost.
"Perhaps we should have dealt better with the initial danger for the first goal, but the second and third goals we conceded were very poor.
"But it's very difficult to criticise a group of players who have been punching above their weight in recent years in Europe."
Stats
| Shakhtar Donetsk | Celtic | |
| 13 | Shots | 10 |
| 6 | Shots on Target | 6 |
| 7 | Fouls | 17 |
| 10 | Corners | 3 |
| 2 | Offside | 0 |
| 54% | Possession | 46% |