Dinamo Zagreb 4 - 3 Celtic

12.12.2014 23:00

Poor defending cost Celtic away to Dinamo Zagreb as a Marko Pjaca hat-trick ensured they finished Europa League Group D with a defeat.

Kris Commons and Stefan Scepovic scored in-between two first-half Pjaca strikes, who netted again following Marcelo Brozovic's curling shot.

Josip Pivaric's late own goal gave Celtic hope of an equaliser.

But they fell short of a fourth but took away the consolation of having already qualified for the last 32.

With a place in the knock-out stages already secured, Ronny Deila picked a makeshift team with captain Scott Brown and Scotland team-mate James Forrest both rested.

However, the defending will concern the Norwegian manager with Celtic continuing to ship goals in Europe.

With John Guidetti still cup-tied, Deila rearranged his front men with Wakaso, Commons and Scepovic all given rare starts in an eerily near-empty Stadion Maksimir.

The latter two linked up for an early Celtic chance that goalkeeper Eduardo had to parry clear, but Zagreb fired an early warning when Hillar Soudani slipped the ball into the near post from an offside position.

It only delayed the opening goal. Pjaca nipped into a similar position and collected Arijan Ademi's through ball, turned Adam Matthews inside out and picked his spot past Craig Gordon.

Celtic were not trailing for long, although the equaliser had a large touch of fortune about it.

Van Dijk's free-kick rattled off the back of Nir Bitton, deceiving the Zagreb defence and allowing Commons to head into the net.

Celtic were beginning to warm to the task and within six minutes were ahead.

Commons curled in another free-kick that this time cannoned off the bar. Bitton headed the rebound into the path of Scepovic who had his back to goal but turned and directed the ball in from close range.

However, just when it looked like Celtic were growing in confidence, they kicked themselves in the foot.

Matthews swiped fresh air allowing Pjaca to take the ball past him and finish via a deflection off Bitton.

Brozovic could have made it three moments from Pjaca's lay-off, but Gordon was equal to his shot.

The Celtic goalkeeper was busy again after the break, pulling off a double save to deny Soudani then Ademi, but he could do little about Zagreb's third.

Domagoj Antolic cut the ball back for Brozovic, whose curling shot inside the near post was out of the top drawer.

Before Celtic could settle, Zagreb had grabbed a fourth.

Pjaca was given too much space outside the box and he thumped a long-range shot well beyond the despairing dive of Gordon.

If Celtic were shipping goals for fun, so were Zagreb and Emilio Izaguirre gave the Scottish champions hope when his cut back was diverted into the net by Pivaric.

Celtic sensed an equaliser and went on the front foot.

Henderson had Eduardo scrambling back to tip his shot over the bar before Van Dijk headed across goal and Scepovic hit a post, but they could not find a fourth goal.

(BBC)

ANN.Az

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