Scorers: Brandao (6) , Lucarelli (8)
Gordon Strachan set his team out in almost exactly the same way as for the trip to Moscow to play Spartak with Hartley replacing McGeady on the left, the only change from that side being Gary Caldwell who retained his place from domestic duty at the expense of John Kennedy.
If the Celtic players thought they would have a chance to settle into the match, they were in for a rude awakening when Stephen McManus was put under pressure by Scott Brown pass and the centre back's awful touch fell to Brandao who shot Shakhtar ahead in six minutes.
It almost got worse one minute later when Lucarelli fired just over but the Italian had only seconds to wait before taking his chance for Shaktar's second. At that stage, Celtic were ragged and the full-backs, Wilson and Naylor, yet to report for duty.
It was shooting practice for the Ukranians with Celtic looking a hapless bunch. Scott Brown in particular, so outstanding recently, was having a Champions League night to put Thomas Gravesen to shame, picking up a yellow card in the 16th minute. At that stage he looked unlikely to finish the game, the only doubt being about whether his exit would be at the behest of Strachan or the referee.
He had little time to think about it - Lucarelli shot at Boruc a minute later and Brandao had the ball in the net only to lose out to a tight offside decision on 19 minutes. Bratislava was beginning to look like a day out at Troon.
Just when Lee Naylor, making Kirk Broadfoot look like Paolo Maldini, was mouthing off to Scott McDonald (presumably fancying a punch from someone smaller than his goalkeeper), Srna was fancying his left-back vacancy and firing in a cross that Artur Boruc did well to smother.
Naylor wasn't the only man at fault - Celtic were passing the ball like a team of blind men on stilts. It wasn't looking good.
In the 29th minute, Celtic had their first meaningful attack, Shunsuke Nakamura finding McDonald whose shot was adjudged to have been deflected for a corner. However, the Japanese international failed to beat the first man from the set piece. Moments later, Nakamura had a free-kick wide on the right which he fired in only to see Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink head over from six yards.
Celtic were gaining some possession but finding Shakhtar closing them down 25 yards out with text book defending.
On 33 minutes, Scott McDonald drew the first save of the match from Pyatov after a splendid one-two with Massiomo Donatti. Nakamura again squandered the resultant corner.
Things were starting to look better for Celtic and a sweeping move which had Vennegoor of Hesselink combine well with McDonald saw the Aussie striker harshly adjudged to have fouled the goalkeeper.
But then, panic again. Crosses from the right had been the order of the night and Jadson almost benefited only to be denied heroically by Boruc who held a second shot from the same player half a minute later.
Celtic went straight up the pitch and the front two put the Shakhtar keeper under all sorts of pressure to offer a glimmer of hope. There were definite signs that the home defence had weaknesses for Celtic to exploit as the half-time whistle approached but there was to be no goal despite another corner on half time which led only to another Shakhtar attack and a further scare.
Much talking required by the Celtic manager.
But 15 minutes is a long time, memories are shoret and people are stupid so those who hadn't out their house on Shakhtar with stupid online live betting were probably imagining all kinds of heroics.
Whose afraid of the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf...
As the second half began, Celtic enjoyed more possession and looked more composed although Boruc had to look lively to stop a goal-bound deflection early on.
But Shakhtar, understandably showing less urgency, were still dangerous and Srna hit the side netting before Brandao headed over, having split the defence yet again.
Celtic were looking better with Brown and Hartley imposing themselves on the midfiled but Shakhtar's counters were truly frightening and Lucarelli tested Boruc again on the hour mark.
Celtic replaced Nakamura, who had contributed nothing, with Aiden McGeady but Shakhtar continued to raid down the right firing balls into the Celtic box at will.
Shakhtar rested Jadson, replacing him with Castillo, for a team looking utterly untroubled.
In what looked like a shout for "high ball time", Chris Killen was brought on to replace McDonald, whose buzzing runs had up to that point provided one of Celtic's few threats.
On 70 minutes, Lucarelli was replaced by Gladkiy but Celtic's route one football could have paid off when Vennegoor of Hesselink won the ball in the air only to head wide.
McGeady was causing some problems getting Celtic forward on that left flank that had proved troublesome all night. But Brandao continued to torment Celtic skinning Mark Wilson on the other side while Brown, by now collecting fouls gae away a free kick which was blasted over from 25 yards.
On 75 minutes, a crude tackle by McManus gave Shakhtar another free kick in a central area 23 yards out but Fernandinho's shot was high and wide. Three minutes later brown was penalised again and looked to be living on borrowed time but there was no movement from the bench.
McManus had an excellent chance on 79 minutes but his header from McGeady's free kick was more of a clearance. Seconds later Boruc denied Fernandinho from 30 yards and the defence somehow scrambled the ball wide.
With Shakhtar still looking the more likely team to score, Maciej Zurawski replaced Venneoor of Hesselink in the last throw of the dice, five minutes from time.
For a desperate Celtic, McGeady found Killen whose shot was saved by Pyatov but a second header when the ball was played back in missed the target. Donati then hit the side netting with Celtic's surge coming far too late.
McGeady continued to try hard and made a great late run into the box that resulted in a corner but celtic could make nothing of it.
The whistle almost came as a relief that Celtic hadn't conceded more goals, especially after Castillo almost rubbed salt into the wounds in injury time, firing just over.
All Celtic's pre-match confidence proved to be in vain, easily outclassed by the Ukrainians in an often chaotic performance. A slight improvement in the second half was no consolation for a team that yet again has preserved the worst away record in Champions League history.
Shakhtar Donetsk: Pyatov, Srna, Hubschman, Kucher, Rat, Ilsinho, Lewandowski, Fernandinho, Lucarelli (
Gladkiy, 70), Jadson (Castillo, 64), Brandao.
Subs (not used): Shust,
Duljaj,
Gay,
Byelik,
Yezerskiy
Booked: Srna 30
Celtic: Boruc, Wilson, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Donati, Hartley, Scott Brown, Nakamura (McGeady, 64), McDonald (Killen, 67), Vennegoor of Hesselink Zurawski, 85). Subs (not used): Mark Brown, Sno, Kennedy, O'Dea.
Booked: Brown (16)
Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spain)
