Giroud on target in AC Milan win, Shakhtar hold Celtic in Warsaw
AC Milan - Dinamo Zagreb 3-1
AC Milan registered their first win of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign with a 3-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb. The victory extends the Rossoneri’s perfect record over the Croatian side in European competition to five wins in five.
As expected, Milan started the stronger of the two sides, but struggled to create clear scoring opportunities. Despite dominating possession, Milan were stifled by a stubborn Zagreb defence, and Ismael Bennacer came close from range but his effort was comfortably dealt with by Dominik Livakovic.
It looked like the sides were going to head into the break goalless until Rafael Leao was tripped in the box, and up stepped Giroud to slot the penalty kick away for his 24th successful spot-kick in 25 career attempts.
Milan got off to a dream start to the second half, doubling their lead just one minute in. A slick counter-attack was finished off by silky dribbling from Leão before his cross was nodded in by Alexis Saelemaekers.
But with a two-goal lead, the hosts became a bit complacent and were duly punished. Just before the hour mark, Bruno Petković produced a fabulous piece of hold up play before laying the ball off to the onrushing Mislav Orsic, who made no mistake in registering his second UCL goal of the campaign.
The visitors had their tails up after cutting Milan’s lead, with Orsic remaining a constant threat to the Italian’s backline.
However, with just under 15 minutes to go, Tommaso Pobega smashed a shot off the underside of the bar and into the back of the net, after some neat link-up play with Theo Hernandez, wrapping up three points for the Rossoneri.
This was ultimately a comfortable victory puts Stefano Pioli’s side top of Group E for now with four points.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan)
Check out all the stats from the game with Flashscore.
Shakhtar Donetsk - Celtic 1-1
Shakhtar Donetsk held firm to secure a 1-1 draw against a dominant Celtic side in their Group F clash, extending the hosts’ unbeaten start to the season to six matches.
Coming into the contest on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid in matchday one, Celtic started in bright fashion, with Kyogo Furuhashi seeing an early strike thwarted by the outstretched leg of Anatoliy Trubin.
The visitors continued to threaten the Shakhtar goal in a frantic opening 10 minutes, and found a deserved breakthrough when Sead Haksabanovic slipped in Reo Hatate, whose low effort was deflected into the net via a touch from the hosts' Artem Bondarenko.
Despite their nightmare start, Shakhtar - looking to protect a five-game unbeaten start to the campaign - levelled the scores against the run of play on the half-hour mark.
Mykhaylo Mudryk showed impressive speed to race onto a defence-splitting pass from Heorhiy Sudakov, before taking a touch and firing a powerful strike over Joe Hart.
This energised Shakhtar with half time approaching, and Hart had to be alert to palm behind a drilled effort from Marian Shved.
The Hoops began the second half back on the front foot, as Jota saw one effort scooped away by Trubin, and another bravely blocked by Mykola Matviyenko.
With the match delicately poised going into the final 25 minutes, it was the visitors who continued to create the better chances, but Matt O’Riley’s long-range effort was comfortably parried away by the busy Trubin.
Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou turned to his substitutes bench in the hope of finding a late winner, with Georgios Giakoumakis among those introduced.
However, the Greek striker wasted his side’s best opportunity in the final minutes by narrowly curling wide from inside the box.
The result gives Celtic their first point in Group F as they rise to third, meanwhile Shakhtar remain at the summit ahead of Real Madrid’s home clash with RB Leipzig.
