Shakhtar Donetsk-Inter: 0-0 - Champions 2021/2022. Final result and commentary from the game

Where the match is played:
Stadium: Kiev Olympic Stadium
City: Kiev
Capacity for: 70050 people18:01

Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Champions League Group D clash between Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter.18:01

Shakhtar and Inter are both enjoying strong domestic campaigns, with the former second in the Ukrainian Premier League and the latter third in Serie A. However, they were both beaten in their first group-stage outings and will be determined to get their Champions League campaigns on track tonight.18:08

Shakhtar Donetsk (4-1-4-1): Andriy Pyatov; Dodo, Marlon Santos, Mykola Matvyenko, Ismaily; Taras Stepanenko; Manor Solomon, Maycon, Alan Patrick, Pedrinho; Lassina Traore.18:12

Shakhtar Donetsk substitutes: Marcos Antonio, Mateus Tete, Yukhym Konoplia, Artem Bondarenko, Viktor Korniienko, Marlos Bonfim, Valerii Bondar, Vitao, Danylo Sikan, Anatolii Trubin, Mykhailo Mudryk, Sergey Krivtsov.18:13

Inter (3-5-2): Samir Handanovic; Milan Skriniar, Stefan de Vrij, Alessandro Bastoni; Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Marcelo Brozovic, Matias Vecino, Federico Dimarco; Edin Dzeko, Lautaro Martinez.18:15

Inter substitutes: Ionut Radu, Matteo Darmian, Joaquin Correa, Arturo Vidal, Ivan Perisic, Danilo D'Ambrosio, Alex Cordaz, Alexis Sanchez, Aleksandar Kolarov, Hakan Calhanoglu, Roberto Gagliardini, Andrea Ranocchia.18:16

Shakhtar head coach Roberto De Zerbi makes sweeping changes to the rotated side he named in the 4-1 victory over Venes Rivne last time out. Only goalkeeper Pyatov and winger Solomon retain their starting spots amidst nine alterations.18:22

Meanwhile, Inter boss Simone Inzaghi makes three changes to the team that drew 2-2 with Atalanta on Saturday. Darmian, Calhanoglu and Perisic all drop to the bench, with Dumfries, Vecino and Dimarco replacing them in the starting line-up.18:24

Shakhtar have failed to win any of their previous five meetings with Inter (D3 L2), scoring just one goal in this run. The pair were drawn into the same Champions League group last season and both games finished goalless, despite Inter attempting 32 shots and recording an expected goals total of 3.1 across the two fixtures.18:29

Inter are unbeaten in the Champions League against Ukrainian sides (W2 D4), with all six games coming in the group stage of the competition (W2 D2 v Dynamo Kyiv and D2 v Shakhtar Donetsk). The Italian giants will hope to build on this record after a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Real Madrid on the first matchday - their xG total of 2.5 was the highest of any team who failed to score in the opening round this season.18:32

We're underway in Ukraine!18:46

Brozovic pings a raking diagonal towards Dumfries, making a bursting run forward down the right, but the wing-back fails to control the pass and is visibly frustrated with himself.18:50

CLOSE! Solomon drives inside from the left with purpose and gets to the edge of the box before rifling a low shot towards the near post, but it flashes just wide!18:51

Traore stays down after a tangle with Dumfries as the Inter wing-back stooped for a header. The striker's leg appeared to get caught underneath his opponent and it looks as though the injury to the Shakhtar striker is serious.18:55

The stretcher is out for Traore and the forward appears to be in some pain. His night is definitely over and De Zerbi is readying a change.18:57

Traore is stretchered off the field after several minutes of medical attention, with Tete coming on to replace the striker.18:57

Handanovic nearly plays his defenders into trouble with a heavy touch and then a poor pass, but Inter just about survive the high press and win a throw.19:00

CROSSBAR! Barella drifts in from the left and advances towards the box before curling a sumptuous effort towards the top-right corner, but it clatters the bar and comes back out to Dzeko, who thumps a shot wide! Pyatov was rooted to the spot, but the frame of the goal came to his rescue!19:02

Patrick has a go of his own from distance, but he doesn't catch the strike cleanly and it's deflected tamely into Handanovic's grasp.19:03

Ismaily bursts into the left side of the box and has options to his right, but Dumfries does superbly to get himself in between the man and the ball and shield it until Handanovic can collect.19:05

WIDE! Solomon's positive runs cause Inter problems again and, this time, the winger slips it into Patrick in the centre of the area, whose shot on the swivel is blocked, before Tete steers the rebound wide!19:06

Martinez pounces on a loose pass high up the field and tries to catch Pyatov out with a first-time lob from distance, but he shanks his effort high and wide.19:08

Salomon looks threatening with his direct running yet again down the left, but Skriniar stands him up well on this occasion and gets the ball away.19:12

Dumfries is sent away down the right and tries to cut the ball back to a teammate in the middle, but there's neither a checked nor a late run to meet it and Shakhtar are able to clear.19:13

NO PENALTY! Dodo sprints into the right side of the penalty area and checks back at the byline. Skriniar goes sliding in and the right-back goes to ground, but the referee says no penalty! The replay shows that contact was only made off the pitch.19:15

CLOSE! Martinez collects a ball over the top and cuts into the box from the left, skipping past his man and curling towards the far corner, but it flies agonisingly wide! The flag then goes up against the Inter striker.19:17

Pedrinho receives the ball from Solomon and gets to the edge of the box before lashing at goal, but he leans back and sends it over the bar.19:19

MISS! What a miss from Dzeko! An inswinging corner from the left is missed in the air and bounces off Maycon, popping up at the back post for Dzeko to fire in, but he somehow lashes over the bar from close range on the stretch!19:22

The game is being played at a frenetic pace and both sides are having a real go. The scoreline certainly isn't a fair reflection of the intent shown by these two teams so far.19:26

A cross from the left is delivered into a crowded Shakhtar penalty area and it falls for Dumfries, but he has two men in front of him and they just manage to scramble it behind for a corner!19:28

There's still plenty of desire from both sets of players, but the energy expended to this point is beginning to take its toll.19:30

Shakhtar have the ball and are slowing the pace of the game down now, working it around safely at the back as they probe for openings in a more controlled manner.19:31

Despite the lengthy treatment Traore required, there will be just three minutes added on to the end of the first half.19:32

A number of fouls disrupt the flow of the game in stoppage time as the half draws to a close.19:35

HALF-TIME: SHAKHTAR DONETSK 0-0 INTER19:36

There goes the half-time whistle! The two sides are level after an entertaining first 45 minutes that featured several chances as Barella struck against the bar and Dzeko somehow fired over from just a few yards out, while Salomon shot wide early on in a positive display. Neither team has been able to break the deadlock, however. It's 0-0 at the break.19:39

Both teams have played well and will feel they could have opened the scoring, but Inzaghi will be particularly frustrated that his side have been unable to convert their chances. If the second half remains as open as the first, it seems only a matter of time before someone finds the net.19:41

We're back underway for the second half.19:50

BLOCK! What a block from Skriniar! Tete plays Dodo into space down the right and the Brazilian fizzes a low ball across the face of goal that Pedrinho looks certain to tap in, but Skriniar slides in and manages to block it away from behind his man!19:55

Salomon cuts into the box from the left again, as he did so often in the first half, and has a go at goal, but Skriniar gets in the way and blocks the strike.19:57

Dodo is livid as the referee blows his whistle to put an end to his burst down the right, but Bastoni is down and has won a free-kick.19:59

Inzaghi wastes no time in bringing new faces on in search of a winning goal. Holding midfielder Brozovic is the first to come off, with attacking midfielder Calhanoglu replacing him.20:01

The second change of the pair sees Dzeko replaced up front by Correa as Inzaghi adds fresh legs to the forward line.20:01

Shakhtar have shown a renewed vigour since the break. They really seem to believe that they can go in front and cause Inter even more problems than they did in the first half.20:04

The hosts are controlling the game at the moment, working the ball around in a composed fashion as they look to unpick Inter's organised defensive shape.20:06

Ismaily tries to run in behind Dumfries and swipes towards goal, but he can't steer the ball on target and the shot is well wide of the near post.20:08

Patrick turns away from two Inter defenders with a smooth turn and blasts an effort at goal from distance, but it's blocked away. 20:09

De Zerbi has been raging on the sidelines and the referee comes over to caution the Shakhtar coach with a yellow card.20:10

OVER! Pyatov's poor pass out from the back is straight to Calhanoglu, who heads straight back into the path of Martinez just inside the box, but the striker fires over the bar!20:12

OVER! Shakhtar sweep forward in numbers and work a promising attack as Dodo is fed on the edge of the box, but he neglects to play Tete in and goes for goal himself instead, blazing over the top!20:13

Inter have dropped off and are allowing Shakhtar to work the ball around, concentrating on maintaining a compact, organised block instead of pressing with intensity.20:17

Inzaghi makes another like-for-like attacking change, bringing Martinez off for Sanchez.20:18

Correa looks to weave his way into the box from the left, but his teammate Sanchez takes it off him and his ball into the centre is headed away.20:22

The Shakhtar boss also replaces left-back Ismaily, bringing Kryvtsov on in his place.20:25

De Zerbi makes a surprising substitution, replacing the lively Solomon with Mudryk for the final 12 minutes plus stoppage time.20:43

Dumfries hauls Mudryk down by his shirt as the substitute scampered away from him in extremely cynical fashion and earns a deserved yellow card.20:26

Inzaghi throws a fresh pair of legs on in midfield, replacing Vecino with Gagliardini for the closing stages.20:27

The Inter boss also makes an offensive change, bringing Dimarco off for Perisic at left wing-back.20:30

There are some tired legs out there as both sets of players continue to slog away in the hunt for a goal. Dumfries loses his concentration for a moment and the ball rolls under his foot and out of play.20:32

De Zerbi throws Marlos on for Patrick in midfield, still searching for a winner as the final whistle approaches.20:30

SAVES! Correa drifts in from the left and unleashes a sweet, dipping strike towards the far corner, but Pyatov dives to his left and makes a super save to turn it around the post! De Vrij powers a downwards header at goal from the resulting corner, but Pyatov gets down to stop that as well!20:34

WIDE! Calhanoglu gets to a loose ball on the edge of the box first and takes a snap-shot across goal, but he rushes the effort and sends it swerving wide of the target!20:44

Skriniar gives a foul away just inside his own half with just a minute of stoppage time left to play, but Shakhtar turn down the chance to get men forward and pump it into the box and instead go short.20:37

FULL-TIME: SHAKHTAR DONETSK 0-0 INTER20:37

There goes the full-time whistle! An even contest ends level as neither side was able to break the deadlock, despite plenty of promising attacking play. Inter had the better chances, with Dzeko missing a sitter, Barella hitting the bar and Pyatov making two top saves late on to deny Correa and De Vrij, but Shakhtar were arguably the better side in the second half. It finishes 0-0 in Ukraine.20:41

Shakhtar face Dynamo Kiev next, while Inter travel to face Sassuolo as both teams return to domestic action.20:43

Thank you for joining our coverage, we hope you enjoyed the game. Until next time, goodbye!20:42