Shakhtar Donetsk boss Igor Jovicevic admits he was blown away by Celtic 's performance in Warsaw. And he reckons Ange Postecoglou has built the best Parkhead team for two DECADES.
The Premiership champions had to settle for a draw with the Ukrainian cracks but it was ultimately an impressive European performance on the road. Artem Bondarenko's own-goal was cancelled out by Mykhaylo Mudryk, but the first half in particular saw Celtic blow Shakhtar away and could have been out of sight.
The point means they occupy third-place in Group F ahead of a double-header with RB Leipzig after the international break and they have reason to be optimistic after a strong start to the season in all competitions. And Jovicevic, whose side have four points from six after winning their opener against Leipzig, reckons Postecoglou 's Hoops are even better than Brendan Rodgers' Invincibles and Gordon Strachan's title-winners - naming them as the best Celtic team since Martin O'Neill was in charge.
He said: "You learn something from every game and we did everything to win. We knew that there would be a period where we would have the ball at our feet regardless of Celtic's aggressive approach.
"This is the best Celtic team for the last 20 years and their form confirms it. They are really aggressive, fast, dynamic and create huge pressure.
"Real Madrid will confirm that. In the last game Celtic, deserved to score four goals, and Real won 3-0. Celtic are a fantastic team who are in great shape and we had that period after the conceded goal where they really pressurised us furiously, we expected that and after a few mistakes, nervousness was created in the team.
"But it was as if their goal freed ourselves and by the end of the first half, for 25 minutes, we had the upper hand and we scored a goal and we scored another one, but it was ruled out. We suffered a lot in the second half. This result is a reward for effort, maybe it wasn't a brilliant game, but it's a good point.
"We are a young team, these are our first matches in the Champions League, 95 per cent of the team has no experience in the Champions League. We are looking for experience against top players and teams.
"We are not the favourites, Leipzig and Celtic and Real Madrid are and we are aware of that. But we also have our weapons, game-management, organisation, individual responsibility, team spirit, character and that's why we are competitive, regardless of the fact that we are outsiders. I would have taken four points after two games if you had asked me."
And Jovicevic has revealed just what a hectic schedule they will have until the rematch with Celtic in Glasgow next month. He said: "Those trips, from Ukraine to Warsaw, then to Madrid, Leipzig, Glasgow. We are constantly on buses, trains and planes. Getting out of Ukraine is long-lasting, the borders too, you arrive at your destination tired and there is no other way out.
"We cannot leave Ukraine by plane. We spend every day off on the bus and we don't have a day off until November 26, until the end of the league."
READ NEXT
