After drawing 1-1 with Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic’s European football hopes have been ended, as the Hoops crash out of Europe.
The Bhoys still have one final European fixture, however, taking on the current champions of Europe, Real Madrid, on their own turf. However, Ange Postecoglou’s squad will be playing for pride as Celtic are now unable to proceed in any European competitions this season. Instead, the Celtic gaffer has indicated that the Bhoys will keep their sights firmly on the domestic front this season, and secure their spot in the Champions League next season.
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During the first half, the ball dropped kindly for Giorgos Giakoumakis who put the Hoops ahead with a strike into the bottom corner. Shakhtar equalised with a stunning strike from Mykhailo Mudryk early in the second half. Failing to take chances has been a problem plaguing the Bhoys in the season’s Champions League run, a problem also reflected in their second match against Shakhtar.
As reported by the Scotsman, Ange Postecoglou reflected on the disappointing result.
“We were disappointed we couldn’t get the result. It’s about experience and striving to improve. The boys are in there feeling flat and that shows where our ambitions lie. It’s our first time here in five years. We know the areas we have fallen short in. We have to be in this competition every year if we really want to make an impact.
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“You can’t go five years without being in it and then come in and expect to make an impact at this level. That’s our challenge, that’s what I mean about becoming a Champions League football club.
“We need to be there every year. We know the areas where we have fallen short in this campaign. They are the areas where we obviously need to improve but that only comes with experience and learning and improvement. That’s our task – to take what we have learned this year and improve next year
“We’ve got to qualify again. We have only been in this competition five years. If you’ve been out, it’s very hard for them to come in. Our job and my responsibility is to make sure we do it every year. If we are there every year, and we keep chipping away at it, we’ll be able to make more of an impact.”
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