Castro after Shakhtar´s epic draw with Dinamo: That´s why people love football!

Shakhtar Donetsk head coach Luis Castro says the remarkable ending of his side’s 3-3 Champions League draw with Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday is why people love football.

Castro’s men looked like they would suffer a damaging defeat when Luka Ivanusec and Arijan Ademi scored inside the final seven minutes of regulation time to put the hosts 3-1 up, with Bruno Petkovic earlier cancelling out Alan Patrick’s opener for the visitors.

A header from Junior Moraes three minutes into stoppage time and then Tete’s penalty with almost the last kick of the game ensured the spoils were shared.

Nikola Moro and Marlos were also both dismissed in a remarkable final 20 minutes, and both sides will go into the final two Group C games level on five points.

Castro says he is disappointed not to have won but admits he can take comfort from the dramatic way his side claimed a point.

“Our players had desire and energy until the very end,” he told reporters. “We missed the chance to take the game under control, but football is like this. That’s why millions of people love it.

 T E A M #DinamoZagrebShakhtar @ChampionsLeague #UCL pic.twitter.com/GfIpus9ykX

— FC SHAKHTAR ENGLISH (@FCShakhtar_eng) November 6, 2019

“Anyway, nothing is lost or won for us so far. We were third in the group when we came here; now we are second.

“It was a very difficult game and now we have mixed feelings. I feel some disappointment because we could have won. We controlled the game and played with big heart.

“We believed in our substitutions. We made them with hope and in the end, we got a positive result.”

Dinamo coach Nenad Bjelica, meanwhile, praised his players despite giving up a two-goal advantage in stoppage time.

“We didn’t react well when we were 3-1 up,” he said. “We conceded two goals and missed a chance to win, but we have to move on and battle for points in the last two matches.

“At the end I am satisfied with my players and with their efforts.”