Young Celts crash to UEFA defeat

Celtic’s u-19 side lost 1-0 to Shakhtar Donetsk at Airdrie’s Excelsior Stadium this afternoon.

After winning 2-1 away to RB Leipzig the young Celts have lost two home matches and head to Madrid next week with three points from their five matches.

Juggling the contrasting challenges of the Lowland League and an elite level UEFA U-19 competition has been a tough ask for the squad managed by Darren O’Dea and Stephen McManus.

Shakhtar scored the only goal of the game in the 63rd minute through Vladyslav Pohorilyi with the hoops unable to come up with a reply.

The win takes Shahtar onto nine points from the group and guarateed a place in the next round ahead of next week’s match at home to RB Leipzig

CELTIC: Oluwayemi, McPherson, Corr, Robertson, Anderson, Kelly (Easton 68), Summers (Thomson 56), Letsosa, Davidson, Vata (Quinn), Brooks.
Subs: Clarke, Mackenzie, Dobbie, Jackson, Easton.

SHAKHTAR DONETSK: Tvardovskyi, Rosputko, Savchenko, Farina, Buleza, Losenko (Bashmarin), Drozd (Yushchenko), Yanovich, Pohorilyi (Chuiko), Siheiev, Pushkarov (Oharkov).
Subs: Barchenko, Bundash, Bats.