European dream officially over
It was always going to be a long shot to keep the Europa League dream alive. However, Celtic’s 1-1 stalemate with Shakhtar Donetsk confirmed that Ange Postecoglou’s men will not be playing in any European competition after Christmas. Already knocked out of the Champions League with two games remaining in the groups, the Hoops did still have an outside chance of reaching the last-32 of the Europa League. They had to beat Shakhtar and then Real Madrid in Spain, mind you, so not exactly the easiest of tasks. It wasn’t to be though as the Hoops were held to a draw by the Ukrainian outfit. It was another good performance by Postecoglou’s side. They’ll be sure to learn from the experience ahead of next year.
Two-up top
There were more than a few eyebrows raised when the team lines came through early on Tuesday evening. The major surprise from Postecoglou was that he opted to tweak his usual formation to accommodate both Kyogo and Giorgos Giakoumakis in his starting XI. This was the first time they’d partnered each other up top from the start of a match. Postecoglou said prior to the game that they knew they had to win, so this inspired the call. It proved to be a successful one with Giakoumakis scoring the opener. The Greek slammed home from close-range as he pounded on a loose ball to net his first European goal. Right place, right time. The duo linked up well in second-half, but Kyogo was easily foiled before going off a short while afterwards.
Mudryk is top class
Sometimes you just need to admire the talents of others. In Mykhaylo Mudryk, Shaktar have an absolute star in the making. The 21-year-old is clearly destined what big things in the game. Still in the early days of his career the Ukrainian attacker has already been linked with life-changing money moves to some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Off the back of his performance at Celtic Park tonight, as well as his showing in Warsaw in the first game, it’s easy to see why. He boasts electric pace, as shown on several occasions as he burned away from his markers. He produced an outstanding finish to level the game for the visitors, with the ball flying past Joe Hart. His trickery and technical ability also shone through. He put the ball on a plate for Danylo Sikan to score the winner, but he missed the open goal.
