Celtic were left disappointed as they drew 0-0 with Kazakhstan champions Kairat Almaty in the first leg of their Champions League play-off on Wednesday.
The result means Brendan Rodgers’ side must snatch a result away from home if they are to have a seat at Europe’s top table for the 2025-26 league phase.
Having asserted themselves from the off, Celtic were well-contained by Kairat, who saw Edmilson’s goal-bound header cleared by Kieran Tierney at the back post.
Celtic then thought they had fallen behind in the 11th minute after Alyaksandr Martynovich had the ball in the back of the net, but the goal was rightly ruled out for offside.
The Scottish champions struggled to break a resilient Kairat down, with the Bhoys dealt a blow after the half-hour mark when Alistair Johnston was stretchered off with an injury.
Celtic improved after the break, with James Forrest seeing his close-range effort clawed onto the post by Aleksandr Zarutskiy, with that opportunity being the catalyst for a barrage from the home side.
While the Celts delivered a much-improved second-half display, with Daizen Maeda presented with a golden opportunity to put Celtic a goal to the good in stoppage time, the Bhoys’ attacking attempts were largely thwarted and smothered by Kairat, whose discipline and organisation ensured the deadlock remained unbroken.
All to play for in Kazakhstan.#CelticKairat | #UCL | #CelticFC pic.twitter.com/wY3clzblY0
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 20, 2025
Data Debrief: Celtic left frustrated by Kazakh champions
Rodgers’ side were restricted for large portions of the 90-minute encounter at Celtic Park, as Kairat’s defence stood strong. The Celts registered a whopping 15 corners, 29 total crosses, and 64 final third entries, but were unable to make their territorial supremacy count.
Having spent 35.1% of the match camped in Kairat’s half, Celtic posted and expected goals (xG) total of just 0.44, registering just two shots on target in 100 minutes of football.
Kairat made a game-leading 17 interceptions and 17 tackles, with Erkin Tapalov and Ofri Arad leading the way with six and four, respectively.