Celtic suffer a flashback to the blitz

Those of a superstitious bent, however, can stand down. There was nothing unlucky in the way the Parkhead side reached an unenviable Champions League milestone.

To say the Scottish champions were overrun and overwhelmed would be an understatement.

In this sprawling Ukrainian city, the smell of sulphur which fills the nostrils quickly gave way to gunpowder as the home side exploded into this game in dynamic fashion. Only an act of second-half mercy, when Shakhtak marginally eased off, prevented a veritable mauling.

Three years ago, Mircea Lucescu's side had delayed the fireworks until the second half when they rattled in three unanswered goals.

Last night, against a Celtic side containing just one survivor of that night, they were two goals to the good in eight highly-flammable first-half minutes.

An error from skipper Stephen McManus, the only survivor from the ranks of 2004, handed the crowd in the Olympic Stadium an unexpected early gift. This venue has been less than kind to the defender.

Brandao, the Brazilian scorer of the third goal last time out, inflicted collateral damage once more before Shakhtar's £6million summer signing Cristiano Lucarelli added a second with a header three minutes later.

The former Livorno player had spoken in the preamble to this game of an alleged interest in his services from Celtic in the summer.

This was a night when a net spend of just £2m, from a £15m profit, in the summer returned to haunt the Parkhead directors.

Shellshocked to the core, the visitors had travelled here in optimism, with the sense that Milan and Moscow had been the antidotes for travel sickness.

In an opening half-hour when they were battered from Donetsk to disarray, however, Gordon Strachan's side were fortunate to avoid a rout.

A third Shakhtar goal was wrongly disallowed for offside when the ubiquitous Brandao tapped home a Fernandinho short pass from six yards. Television showed the referee, Alberto Mallenco, had done the Scottish club a significant favour.

Cutting through the Celtic defence at will, Shakhtar looked capable of inflicting a defeat of Artmedia proportions.

Artur Boruc, helpless for both goals, pulled off critical stops to deny Lucarelli and a blistering volley from midfielder Darijo Srna.

On the right side against a struggling Lee Naylor, Srna, the Croatian, enjoyed carte blanche. On the left, Mark Wilson found himself equally exposed.

The wide areas of Celtic's defence have long been an Achilles heel. A wily old campaigner to his bootstraps, Lucescu — Romania manager when Strachan was in his Scotland pomp 16 years ago — was never likely to miss an opportunity for exploitation.

With four Brazilians in their starting ranks and a net spend of £20m in the summer, Shakhtar are no country hicks. The ease with which the Ukrainian league leaders sliced their opponents asunder, however, was nothing short of alarming.

The rot began in the fifth minute when a dangerous Scott Brown pass-back to McManus placed the club captain in trouble.

Overrunning his first touch, the 25-year-old stormed into the lurking Brandao. The physically imposing striker took one touch before calmly placing the ball past Boruc.

As in Benfica last season, a wretched defensive error had proved costly. Celtic, suddenly, were under the cosh and breathing hard.

Three minutes later, the lead was doubled. This time it was Ilsinho, the 21-year-old Brazilian, who found space on the left to throw in a fine cross. Stealing a march on the defence, Lucarelli guided his header inside Boruc's left-hand post.

For Strachan, arms crossed and hand to his mouth on the touchline, this was proving another of those nights Celtic believed they had left behind. The tactical masterplan had already been ripped asunder.

Paul Hartley began the game on the left, in place of the benched Aiden McGeady, and was involved in a surreal scene as he whipped off his jersey and exchanged it with an opponent at half-time.

He emerged for the second half with a new jersey. There was little sign, however, of a new chapter in this game.

That despite the visitors tentatively pushing forward in the latter stages of the first half.

Scott McDonald's snap shot in 28 minutes earned a corner. More pertinently, it reminded his team-mates that the opposition half was not a forbidden zone.

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink might have done better with a Shunsuke Nakamura free-kick a minute later, heading over the bar, while McDonald forced the first save of the night form Andriy Pyatov after a neat onetwo with the erratic Massimo Donati.

That was the 33rd minute—a prime indicator of Celtic's state of defensive encampment.

Unable to make the breakthrough, Strachan retained the status quo until the 65th minute, when the ineffectual Nakamura was replaced by McGeady. Moments later, Chris Killen replaced McDonald up front.

Strachan, frankly, had little left to lose.

Vennegoor of Hesselink came to within inches o f heading the Parkhead side back into the game from a Naylor cross.

By then, the home side had eased up significantly. Lucarelli was removed from the fray in a statement of confidence, while midfielder Jadson also left the field.

One of the replacements, Mexican Nery Castillo, arrived to a hearty welcome — and he so nearly justified the adoration when he forced a fine low save from Boruc with a 25-yard daisycutter nine minutes from time.

A combination of Caldwell and the Polish keeper's alertness prevented Brandao converting the rebound.

Had lightning struck Celtic once again, with the loss of three goals, it would have been an unarguable verdict. Strachan had spoken in the hours before the game of his side's difficulties in handling the league format. It was an illuminating remark.

Lucescu clearly saw little need to flog the dead horse in green and white further. For the first time in four attempts under Strachan, Celtic had avoided the loss of a third goal on their group-stage travels. They can be grateful for small mercies.