FC Kairat and Celtic draw in Champions League qualifying match

The game took place in Glasgow at the 60,000-seat Celtic Park, where the opening minutes were evenly contested.

Celtic controlled possession for longer stretches and tried to break through their opponent’s defense, but their play was too predictable and failed to produce real scoring chances. Kairat’s players remained focused, launching several dangerous counterattacks and even scoring a goal that was disallowed for offside.

In the second half, the Celts noticeably increased their tempo, pressing more frequently near Kairat’s goal and keeping possession for over 70% of the time. The hosts put on serious pressure, but the visitors held firm, concentrating on their defensive play. Kairat’s goalkeeper, Alexander Zarutsky, saved his team on several occasions but was forced to leave the field due to injury, being replaced by Temirlan Anarbekov.

The referee added ten minutes of stoppage time, during which Almaty forward Dastan Satpayev was shown a yellow card — his third in this European campaign. As a result, he will miss the return match against the Scots.

It is worth mentioning that Celtic are aiming for their 14th appearance in the Champions League group stage and their fourth in a row. For Kairat, this is a chance to write a new page in their history, as the team has never before played in the main draw of the Champions League.

The return leg will take place on August 26 in Almaty.

Earlier, it was reported that Almaty’s Kairat would face Scottish giants Celtic in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off round on the night of August 20–21.