Shakhtar Donetsk 0-0 Inter: Shot-shy Serie A champions held in Kiev

Inter struggled as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Shakhtar Donetsk in Tuesday’s Champions League clash.

Nicolo Barella, who was denied by the crossbar, and Edin Dzeko spurned first-half opportunities, with Roberto De Zerbi’s hosts also faltering with a multitude of chances at the Kiev Olympic Stadium.

Manor Solomon and Tete both went close for Shakhtar, but with neither able to beat Samir Handanovic, the Ukrainian outfit settled for a creditable goalless draw against the Serie A champions.

Both teams are left on a point apiece in Group D as they suffer similarly timid starts and will need to make up early ground on Real Madrid and Sheriff, who meet later on Tuesday.

Tying 0-0 with Inter in the @ChampionsLeague match in Kyiv.

Shakhtar’s next group stage game is against Real Madrid at the NSC Olimpiyskiy on October 19. #Shakhtar #UCL #ShakhtarInter pic.twitter.com/4YSVYTjgtf

— FC SHAKHTAR ENGLISH (@FCShakhtar_eng) September 28, 2021

The opening chance of the contest saw Solomon surge inside and thrash his effort past the left-hand post before Barella blasted an effort against the bar from long-range at the other end.

Inter’s carelessness in possession almost cost them, with Tete angling wide and Pedrinho smashing over either side of Lautaro Martinez’s whipped effort failing to find the corner.

Dzeko should have opened the scoring after ghosting onto Federico Dimarco’s corner but he wastefully prodded over from close range as the two sides continued to trade first-half chances.

Milan Skriniar produced a vital last-ditch block after the break to deny Pedrinho following Dodo’s cutback as the hosts boasted 66 per cent of the possession against their uncharacteristically sloppy opponents.

Mykola Matyvenko then gifted Martinez the chance to break the deadlock, but the Inter forward could only skew over the bar when one-on-one with Andriy Pyatov.

Dodo selfishly lashed high of Inter’s goal before the visitors gave Shakhtar a late scare. 

Substitute Joaquin Correa drifted inside and curled towards the far corner, only for Pyatov to turn it behind the post before denying Stefan de Vrij from the resulting corner as the match ended level.