Celtic Face Tough Challenge as Kairat Arrive in Glasgow
Celtic are gearing up for a high-stakes Champions League play-off against Kazakhstan’s FC Kairat, and while the Scottish side will be favorites, the visitors are determined not to make life easy. The first leg is set to kick off at Celtic Park tonight at 8 pm BST, with full commentary available on BBC Sounds and live updates on the BBC Sport app.
Kairat have already endured a rollercoaster of a season. Just days after narrowly defeating Slovakia’s Slovan Bratislava in a dramatic shoot-out to reach this stage, they suffered a surprising 3-2 home defeat to Yelimay, surrendering a 2-0 lead. It was their first home loss in eight matches, and head coach Rafael Urakhtin did not hide his frustration. He described the mistakes as “childish” and emphasized that the team had no time to dwell on the defeat, as they had to focus on their journey to Scotland.
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Their trip to Glasgow is not a short one. The squad traveled over 3,500 miles from Almaty, near the Chinese border, carrying the weight of both domestic disappointment and the hopes of making history in European football. Kairat’s path to this play-off has already been testing—they came through three qualifying rounds, including dramatic comebacks against Finland’s KuPS and a nervy shoot-out against Olimpija in Slovenia.
The biggest threat to Celtic comes in the form of 17-year-old Dastan Satpaev. Despite standing just 5ft 5in, Satpaev has already made a name for himself with 22 goal involvements this season, including three in the qualifiers. A big-money move to Chelsea is on the horizon, but FIFA rules prevent him from leaving until he turns 18 next August. Alongside him, Belarus international Valeriy Gromyko provides experience and is expected to be a key figure in both Kairat’s European push and the upcoming World Cup qualifier.
Celtic, of course, bring their own pedigree to the match. Scottish champions are no strangers to Kazakh opposition, having faced Shakhter Karagandy and Astana in previous Champions League qualifiers. Kairat themselves have a memory of Scottish football, famously eliminating Aberdeen from the Europa League over a decade ago. Yet, despite the challenges, Brendan Rodgers’ side will enter as strong favorites.
The fixture presents a blend of history, geography, and footballing ambition. For Kairat, advancing to the Champions League group stage would mark a historic achievement, following Astana’s sole appearance in 2015. For Celtic, it is an opportunity to assert their dominance and continue their European journey. The stage is set, the fans are ready, and the question remains—can Kairat truly make life difficult for the Celts on a crisp Glaswegian evening?
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